Talking to Your Child About Anesthesia
It may help your child handle the stress and uncertainly of the procedure or surgery
if you have a conversation ahead of time about what to expect. Here are a few talking
points to consider:
Let your child know where you'll be during the whole experience.
Reassure your child that you'll be in the waiting room nearby during the surgery and
in the recovery room when he or she wakes up after the surgery. You may also be able
to sit with your child until he or she falls asleep before the surgery. Discuss this
with your anesthesiologist.
And explain that (in many outpatient procedures), your child can come home soon
after the surgery is done. In cases that require hospitalization, most hospitals allow
at least one parent to stay with the child day and night.
Give your child reassuring age-appropriate and developmental stage-appropriate
information. For a younger child, for example, less information may be better
than more. That doesn't mean lying — it just means giving the most appropriate
information for your child's age and developmental stage. Giving young kids very detailed
explanations might make the experience more frightening or worrisome. Of course, every
child is different, so have a discussion based on your child's needs.
Consider saying something like, "A special doctor will give you a little medicine
to make you sleep very deeply so that you won't feel anything during the operation."
Or you may just want to explain that all he or she has to do is breathe (if your child
is getting general anesthesia or will be sedated using a mask). In many cases, the
IV and breathing tubes are placed after kids are asleep, so they will have no knowledge
or awareness that some other potentially frightening things are even happening.
But preteens and teens, especially, may need to be reassured that they will not
wake up during the procedure but that they will wake up
afterward.
Avoid frightening language. For example, don't say, "You'll be
given gas" or "You'll be put to sleep." A child may confuse "gas" with the fuel that
can poison or kill, and confuse "put to sleep" with what happened to an ailing family
pet. Also avoid saying, "You'll be taking a nap" — young kids may think all
future naps mean surgery. Likewise, you should never tell children that they'll be
stuck with a needle if they misbehave or don't cooperate.
Answer questions honestly. If you don't know the answer to a question,
reassure your child that you will ask the doctor.
Explain that the anesthesia will prevent your child from feeling any pain
during the procedure.
Explain that there may be some pain and discomfort after the surgery, but
that the doctor can give medicine to help. It's important for kids to understand
that they don't have to try to be brave or "put on a happy face" after surgery. Explain
that it's OK to let the doctor know about any pain or discomfort so that your child
can get help right away.
Explain that it's normal to feel a little weird after surgery.
Although every person has a different experience, a child who was sedated or had general
anesthesia may feel groggy, confused, chilly, nauseated, scared, alarmed, or even
sad when the medications wear off. That's all perfectly normal. You may want to tell
your child, "You might wake up feeling a little funny, but that's OK. I will be there
with you."
Make sure whatever you tell your child is in line with what the doctor
has told you. Don't pass on any misinformation — it may scare your
child if something happens that's different from what you've explained.
Let your child know that it's normal to not remember anything about the
surgery. That's one important aspect of general anesthesia.
Encourage your child to read about the present safety of anesthesia.
Then share the information with the family — reading and sharing information
is an excellent coping mechanism.