Why pediatric anesthesia matters

RICHMOND, Va. -- When your child needs to have surgery, whether it be a minor procedure or a major operation, you want to make sure they are as comfortable and pain-free as possible, that’s why an anesthesiologist’s job is so important. What many families don’t know is that having an anesthesiologist that specializes in pediatric surgery can make a huge difference for little patients. Dr. Patrick Olomu is chief of pediatric anesthesiology at Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU and answers these three questions about why his specialty is so important.

What are the different types of anesthesia and when do you use them?

We have many different types of anesthesia but the most common is general anesthesia, which we use to allow kids to sleep through an operation without feeling anything during the procedure. In addition to general anesthesia, we have different types of sedation, like mild sedation, motor sedation and even deep sedation. We also use regional anesthesia where we block the nerves on a certain part of the body, depending on the area of focus.

How does your team work with parents, caregivers and the young patients to ease any concerns they have about anesthesia?

Our team members make sure that all questions a parent or caregiver has are answered before the surgery is even scheduled and we do thorough testing to make sure the child is healthy enough for the procedure and to undergo anesthesia. We also make sure the parents know what to expect on the day of surgery, from the moment of arrival to the moment of discharge.
We also want to make sure the family understands what the limitations are leading up to the surgery, but especially when it comes to when a child can eat or drink before surgery. Eating or drinking in the hours leading up to an operation can cause the procedure to be delayed or have the child aspirate food or liquids while under anesthesia, which can be very dangerous. So, we want to make sure caregivers are fully aware of what to do leading up to an operation or procedure.
We also call upon our child life specialists who can provide comfort, care and distraction leading up to any procedure because we know being in a hospital can be really scary for kids.

The operating room isn’t the only place anesthesia can be used. Where else it is helpful?

Besides surgery, we also do different things like imaging, MRIs, CT scans, endoscopy, echocardiography to check the child's heart or special imaging techniques like nuclear medicine scans. All are very high-tech ways to make diagnosis, but it is also hard for children to keep still for these procedures, which can be lengthy. Anesthesia can help kids stay still and while making sure our procedures are safe and pain-free. In many centers now, NORA procedures, or Non-Operating Room Anesthesia account for close to 40% of their workload.
Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU is located at 1000 East Broad Street.
For more information, give them a call at (804) 828-2467 or you can visit the website chrichmond.org.

This segment is sponsored by Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU.