Anesthesiologists are concerned with many aspects of a child's care. Their main task is to provide safe, optimal conditions during surgery and to make the entire hospital stay as pleasant and comfortable as possible. Anesthesiologists consider any surgical procedure performed on your child to be of major importance. They are constantly on guard for changes in breathing, heart action, blood pressure or unexpected events which, although rare, may occur during surgery. Apart from assuring the optimal safety of your child during surgery, anesthesiologists are specially trained in how to make the operative procedure as comfortable as possible for your child.
Anesthesiologists know how children react to hospitals and surgery.
As physicians, they work with other doctors such as pediatricians, surgeons and other specialists to improve the quality of your child's entire hospital stay. You also may meet anesthesiologists in other hospital areas. For example, if your child needs a specialized radiological test including diagnostic scans, an anesthesiologist may well be present to provide anesthesia or safe sedation for your child. Following surgery, anesthesiologists are often involved in providing pain relief for your child and are consulted in the pediatric intensive care unit. Even if your child is not undergoing an operation, an anesthesiologist may be consulted for pain management, respiratory care and other medical situations.