Pediatric Anesthesiology

Focused on your child

Our department includes more than 100 doctors and nurses who specialize in pediatric anesthesiology, and we support over 45,000 children through medical procedures each year. The large size of our department means our anesthesia team ensures that your child receives personalized care from an expert who stays with them throughout their procedure.

Safe, age-appropriate anesthesiology care

Children have different needs than adults when it comes to receiving anesthesia care, and their needs change as they grow. Our anesthesiologists have pediatric-specific training and experience, giving us a deep understanding of how their anatomy, neurologic development, and response to medications change at each stage of life. We use this knowledge to tailor the anesthetic plan (medications that your child gets before and during surgery to put them into a sleep-like state) to meet each child’s unique needs.

Our team appreciates that every child is different and that sometimes medications are not the answer. We take a holistic approach that recognizes the need to provide emotional support for your child. This approach can help reduce the amount of medication they need. We work closely with our Child Life specialists, who help children have a positive experience as they undergo medical procedures. Our Child Life therapies include:

• Pet therapy with a service dog

• Playroom with toys and games

• Music therapy

• Other services

Research-driven care

In close collaboration and partnership with the Department of Anesthesiology at UT Southwestern, our team is a national leader in clinical research. We are leading several international research studies looking at the impact of anesthetic medications on the developing brains of young children. This ongoing work informs the care we provide to our pediatric patients every day. By providing state-of-the-art care to your child, we can offer options that minimize side effects while keeping your child safe and protected. Our protocols seek to minimize the use of narcotics by using local anesthetics and nerve blocks where appropriate to reduce pain.

Recovery after pediatric anesthesia

After the procedure, we monitor your child while they recover from anesthesia. Every child and every procedure are different, so recovery times and processes vary from child to child. Recovery can take anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours.

During your child’s recovery, we make sure they can eat, drink and take their pain medication before we release them from our care. We’ll involve your family in the recovery process and make every effort to ensure you are with your child as they are waking up. We know that it’s important for your child to have family nearby to support their emotional recovery.

Resources

• American Academy of Pediatrics

• Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

• SmartTots

• Preparing Your Child for Anesthesia

• Pediatric Anesthesiology Research

• What to Expect for Surgery Videos

Anesthesia and sedation medications help keep children safe, comfortable, still and pain-free during surgery and other procedures. The doctors that manage these medicines for your child are pediatric anesthesiologists.

At Children's Health℠, your child receives care from a team of highly trained and skilled experts in pediatric anesthesia. As a nationally recognized and fully accredited training program, we’re helping shape the future of the specialty. Our team is dedicated to:

• Advancing the science and understanding of how children respond to anesthetics

• Training future pediatric anesthesiologists through residency and fellowship programs