For pediatric patients:

After your child is brought into the treatment area, he or she will first rest comfortably in the exam chair. We will gently apply vital sign monitors, which do not hurt. Then, Dr. McCreary or Dr. Duan will rest a mask on your child’s face. Through the mask, we give a mixture of oxygen and anesthesia gases. We tell children to expect a “funny” smell at this point, somewhat similar to the odor of nail polish. It typically takes less than a minute for a child to fall asleep after breathing the anesthesia gas.

Once your child is asleep, Dr. McCreary or Dr. Duan will place an intravenous catheter and connect this to a bag of intravenous fluids. Your child will not feel the poke from the needle, and the IV catheter will be removed as soon as safely possible, before he or she is fully awake.

After the IV is secured, Dr. McCreary or Dr. Duan will place a breathing tube. This is a soft plastic tube that is gently inserted through the mouth or nostril into the windpipe. The breathing tube protects your child’s lungs and allows the anesthesiologist to give oxygen and additional anesthesia gas. Your child is asleep when the tube goes in and when it comes out.

While your child’s physician or dentist is performing the procedure, the anesthesiologist is sitting directly next to your child. He or she is constantly monitoring your child’s vital signs and keeping him or her safely asleep. Additionally, Dr. McCreary or Dr. Duan uses the IV catheter to give medications to prevent nausea and treat discomfort. 

Once the procedure is complete, the anesthesia medicines will be stopped and your child will begin to wake up.