Pediatric
Anesthesia
Anesthesiology plays
a pivotal role in the treatment and recovery of pediatric patients.
SSAA anesthesiologists
are experienced in all areas of pediatric patient care before, during,
and after surgery or procedures. We also provide anesthesia services
for other nonsurgical procedures (such as MRI or CAT scans). Our goal
is the safety of our patients.
South Shore Hospital
offers programs to help parents and patients learn about the pediatric
surgical experience including tours of the day surgery center. These
programs, along with the preoperative consultation with an anesthesiologist,
help to alleviate fears and misconceptions for both children and their
parents.
Parents are allowed
to be with their child at all times prior to surgery. In most non-emergent
cases, one parent may accompany his or her child to the operating room
and may be present during the induction (start) of anesthesia. Once
the child is asleep, the accompanying parent will be escorted to the
waiting area. During surgery, parents are asked to remain in the waiting
area. As soon as the surgeon indicates, parents may join their child
in the recovery room.
Every child who
is scheduled for surgery will meet with an SSAA anesthesiologist in
the days or week prior to the scheduled procedure.
At that meeting,
the parent or guardian will be informed about preoperative instructions.
The most important of these is the
preoperative diet guidelines for the child. Please be aware
that failure to follow these guidelines places the child at higher risk
for intraoperative complications and therefore may lead to a delay or
postponement for the scheduled surgery.
Please see the FAQ
page if you need further information.
Links
For further information regarding your child's anesthetic, please consult the two links below. Keep in mind that practices vary from hospital to hospital and these sites contain general information and should not be relied upon for specific instruction. They are best used to prepare you and your child for his/her upcoming surgery.