General anaesthetic and surgery factsheet
Introduction
When your child has surgery, they will be cared for by a specialist doctor called an anaesthetist.
An anaesthetist makes sure your child is:
- asleep during surgery
- comfortable and getting pain medication
- breathing well.
The anaesthetist does this by giving your child a combination of medicines called a general anaesthetic.
Before the procedure
The hospital will contact you before surgery with instructions about:
- what time to arrive
- whether your child will stay overnight or go home the same day
- what to bring
- when your child should start fasting, nil by mouth.
Fasting nil by mouth
Fasting nil by mouth means your child stops eating and drinking before surgery. Your child must have an empty stomach before the general anaesthetic.
Food and drink can come back up from the stomach and get into the lungs. This is called aspiration, and it can be life-threatening.
Generally, fasting before anaesthetic means:
- no solid food, milk, or infant formula for six hours before the anaesthesia
- clear fluids like water up to one hour before the anaesthesia.
If your child is breastfeeding, they need to stop four hours before surgery. Infant formula is treated like a solid food.
If your child does not fast properly before the procedure, it may need to be cancelled and rebooked to keep your child safe.
During the procedure
You and your child will meet the anaesthetic team before surgery.
Your child will have a thin tube called an intravenous (IV) cannula inserted in their arm to give fluids and medication through a vein.
Your child might be given medication through the IV cannula to help them relax.
Before the procedure starts, your child will go to the anaesthetic room. The anaesthetic team will place a mask over their mouth and nose and ask them to count as they breathe in and out. At the same time, anaesthetic medication will be given through the IV cannula.
Medical equipment
The procedure will start once your child is asleep and comfortable.
The anaesthetic team will set up some equipment that checks how your child is going through the procedure. This can include:
- monitors and sensors to check blood pressure, temperature, and breathing
- IV cannulas to give fluid and medication
- central lines - a longer type of cannula that goes up to the heart
- a breathing tube to make sure your child has oxygen and is breathing well.
After the procedure
After surgery, your child will be taken to the intensive care or recovery unit to wake up. They might feel dizzy, confused, and sick when they wake up. This is normal.
Your child will still have their cannula and other tubes and monitors attached. This is so their nurses can check how they are recovering.
Children who recover in the intensive care unit may continue to have medicine that helps them feel relaxed and calm. This is not the same as the general anaesthetic.
Management
Safety
General anaesthesia is very safe. Anaesthetists are specialist doctors who:
- make sure the anaesthesia is safe and working well
- continuously check your child for any complications before, during, and after the surgery
- make sure your child is comfortable and not in pain.
Helping your child prepare for surgery
It's normal to worry about your child having surgery. Your child will also feel worried, so supporting them in feeling calm is important.
You can help your child prepare by:
- talking to them about the anaesthetic and surgery in simple words
- explaining the steps of the anaesthetic so they know what will happen
- making sure you or another trusted adult is there when they go to sleep and when they wake up
- asking the doctors and nurses any questions you have
- encouraging your child to ask any questions they have.
Children over six months old may be able to have a parent or carer in the anaesthetic room with them. Talk to your child’s anaesthetist about whether this is possible.
