What is anesthesia?
It is pronounced an-ess-thee-sha. It is medicine used during procedures that causes a loss of feeling in all or part of your child’s body. There are different types. The best type of anesthesia for your child depends on:
- The type of procedure your child is having.
- Your child’s health.
- You and your child’s preferences.
General anesthesia
This puts your child in a deep sleep. It is not like the normal sleep they have at night.
- Your child gets the medicine by breathing it in through a mask or in a vein through an IV.
- Your child will not feel or remember anything with this kind of anesthesia.
Sedation
This is medicine that makes your child relaxed or sleepy.
- It is often given through a vein.
- Many people can still follow instructions when sedated.
Regional anesthesia
This numbs a larger part of your child’s body. During the procedure, your child will not feel any pain in that area of their body. For example, if they are having a procedure on their thumb, regional anesthesia will numb their arm.
- Your child may also be given sedation.
The 3 types of regional anesthesia are:
- Spinal: Medicine is given in your child’s lower back with a needle. This stops pain and movement signals from going to their brain. The needle is taken out after the medicine is given.
- Epidural: Medicine goes into your child’s body through a small tube in their back. The tube is often attached to a pump that gives your child the amount of medicine they need. The tube is taken out after the medicine is no longer needed to control pain.
- Nerve block: Medicine is injected near nerves to control pain during the procedure. Sometimes a small tube is placed near the nerve. The tube is attached to a pump that gives your child the amount of medicine they need. The nerve block will stop or lower their pain for a few hours after the procedure.
Who will give my child anesthesia?
- A doctor called an anesthesiologist or a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA). A CRNA is a nurse with special anesthesia training.
- Someone from your child’s anesthesia care team will stay with them while they are asleep. They make sure your child’s body is working well during and after the procedure.
- A resident doctor or student nurse anesthetist may be part of your child’s care team. They are supervised by experienced doctors and CRNAs.
Will my child wake up during the procedure?
- It is rare to wake up during a procedure with general anesthesia.
- In the operating room, machines help us measure the amount of medicine your child is getting and how deeply they are asleep.
What are the risks of anesthesia?
Some procedures or diseases may put your child at a higher risk for complications. Before your child’s procedure, you will have a chance to talk about the risks with their anesthesia care team.
Minor risks are more common. They are:
- Feeling sick or vomiting (throwing up) after the procedure
- Having a sore throat, teeth, or lips
- Trouble swallowing
- Feeling pain or having bruises on their arm where the IV was
- Bruising or redness on their skin or some numbness. This can happen from the pressure of lying down during the procedure. Most of the time this does not last after their hospital stay.
- Having a backache or headache after spinal or epidural anesthesia
Major risks are very rare. They are:
- Drug reaction
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Lung problems
- Bleeding
- Blindness
- Nerve damage or paralysis
- Brain damage
- Coma or death
Before your child’s procedure, you may:
- Get a phone call from a nurse.
- Go to the Presurgical Evaluation Clinic. In the clinic, you and your child will:
- Meet with internal medicine staff who specialize in preoperative evaluation.
- Give your child’s medical history.
- Talk about your child’s plan of care.
Before your child’s procedure, their care team will:
Talk with you about your child’s medicines and allergies.
- Tell you which medicines your child should take before their procedure.
- Talk with you about temporarily stopping or changing the medicines your child may take for diabetes, pain, or to thin their blood. Please contact your child’s care team if you have not gotten this information.
Eating and drinking before the procedure
- Learn more about what your child can and cannot eat and drink before their procedure by reading the “Eating and Drinking Before Your Procedure” handout in your folder.
What happens after the procedure?
- Anesthesia medicine is stopped at the end of your child’s procedure.
- Your child will wake up in the recovery area. Most children stay there for 1 to 2 hours after the procedure.
- Then your child will either go to a hospital room or go home.
- If your child has serious health problems, they may go to an intensive care unit.
- Your child’s care team will work with your child to control their pain. You will be given information about this.
What if I have questions?
If you have any questions about your child’s anesthesia, call:
- 319-356-4554 Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- 319-678-5200 after 4:30 p.m. or on weekends and holidays
Our team of caring and well-trained anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists are here to give your child the best care. Thank you for letting us take care of your child