Anesthesia and Pain Control for Heart Patients
What to Expect Before, During and After Pediatric Cardiac Surgery
General anesthesia is used during cardiac surgery and is administered by a member of the pediatric cardiac anesthesia team. In some cases, general anesthesia may also be used for children undergoing cardiac catheterization procedures or transesophageal echocardiograms (TEE).
Patients and families often have significant concerns about not only the surgical procedure, but about anesthestia and pain control. The pain associated with surgery can be a frightening prospect and lead to increased anxiety. It is important to know what to expect and how both pain and anxiety will be managed before, during and after surgery.
Rev. 9/09
