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Children's Care
All About AnesthesiaThere are many options to help you through surgery
A reassuring presenceOne of the primary functions of nurse anesthetists like James Miller is to talk with you before your surgery. They explain your anesthesia options and what will be happening.Anesthesia for Your ChildMany of the anesthesia options for adults also are available to children. But anesthesiologists use different techniques to help relieve anxiety and make it easier to deliver medicine to these smaller patients. “To help children with separation anxiety, we give them a small amount of a liquid sedative before their parents leave their side,” says pediatric anesthesiologist Debra Fullan, D.O., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “Then, we usually perform an ‘inhalation induction’ using a mask, which is less frightening for the child than an intravenous needle.”Ever had major surgery? You may not recall it, but throughout the operation you had an anesthesia team at your side keeping you comfortable and safe. Anesthesia is the use of medication to block pain and sensation in your body while your doctors perform the procedure you need. Today, you can choose from a growing number of anesthesia options. “Determining what type is right for you depends on your medical condition, the kind of procedure you’re having, the medications you’re taking, and your age and general health,” says anesthesiologist Thomas McLoughlin, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “Your anesthesiologist and nurse anesthetist work with you to make that decision.”If your surgery is minor, you may only need an injection of a local anesthetic to numb that part of your body. For more serious procedures, your options include: Regional anesthesiaRegional anesthetics numb a wider area of the body. “They’re a good choice for those who prefer to stay conscious during a procedure,” McLoughlin says. You can choose from three types.Spinal anesthesia is used for surgeries like joint replacement and hernia repair. It temporarily blocks nerve signals to and from the lower part of the body. First, you’re given a local anesthetic to numb the injection site, then a thin needle delivers pain-deadening medication into the fluid surrounding the spinal cord. Epidural anesthesia, a popular choice during childbirth, is similar to spinal except that it’s delivered into the “epidural” space (just outside the spinal cord). If necessary, doctors can insert a thin tube (catheter) to provide continuous pain relief after the operation. Nerve blocks are anesthetics injected around a specific nerve or cluster of nerves. They’re given before knee and hip replacement procedures to ease pain after surgery and sometimes used as the main anesthetic for hand, arm or foot surgery. As with epidural, a catheter may be used to continuously supply medication. General anesthesiaWhen local or regional numbing isn’t enough—as it isn’t for most surgeries involving the brain, abdomen or chest—general anesthesia is the answer. Medications are given intravenously or inhaled to induce a deep sleep and keep your brain from perceiving pain.“With advances in medications and monitoring, the risk for serious injury or death due to general anesthesia appears to be at least 10 times less than it was just 15-20 years ago,” McLoughlin says. For example, anesthesiologists have new medications that prevent nausea or vomiting, better ways to monitor oxygen and carbon dioxide in the body, and technologies to measure brain waves to help ensure the patient is properly asleep and unaware of the procedure. Side effects of general anesthesia are rare. Researchers are still studying the long-term effects to determine whether the forgetfulness that persists in some elderly patients is a result of anesthesia or other factors. This page last updated 4/1/08 11:29 AM
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