General anaesthetic (child)

Read Time:1 Minute, 41 Second

What is a general anaesthetic?

A general anaesthetic is a combination of drugs that produce deep sleep. It is used for operations or procedures as it causes a loss of sensation. Your child will not be aware of what is happening and afterwards will not remember anything that has happened.

What are the benefits of a general anaesthetic?

Your child needs to have an operation or procedure. So that your surgeon or doctor can perform the operation safely, your child needs to be in a state where they do not move and their muscles are relaxed. A safe way to achieve this is to give your child a general anaesthetic.

Are there any alternatives to a general anaesthetic?

For certain procedures, such as a scan, your child may be able to have sedation. This can be given in a variety of ways such as a syrup or nose spray.

For smaller operations, your anaesthetist may consider a local anaesthetic injected near the area of surgery.

The options depend on how mature your child is and their ability to stay calm and still.

How is a general anaesthetic given?

Most older children are sent to sleep by injecting the anaesthetic through a drip (small tube) in a vein. The injection takes about 30 seconds to work.

Some children prefer to go to sleep by breathing an anaesthetic gas through a face mask. This technique is more common in younger children and babies. Your child may be a bit restless as the gas begins to work but it usually takes only a minute for them to go to sleep.

When the operation has finished, the anaesthetic wears off, allowing your child to wake up again.