Anesthesiology & Pain Management
Whether your child has chronic pain or needs help managing pain related to a surgical procedure, Kentucky Children’s Hospital offers comprehensive pediatric pain management and treatment care options to help.
We believe that treating pain is about more than alleviating discomfort. Pain, whether it relates to a surgical procedure or a medical condition, can affect a child physically, mentally and emotionally, which disrupts daily life.
That’s why we’re committed to providing a full spectrum of care designed to treat pain and help kids and parents cope.
Sedation in Pediatric Care
If your child needs to undergo a surgical procedure, it is common and normal for you to have fears and worries related to sedation and the surgical procedure. Have confidence in knowing that our specially trained physicians and nurses are dedicated to caring for children throughout a necessary study or procedure.
Sedation is used to help your child sleep during certain procedures, especially in cases where the procedure is potentially painful or stressful. A multidisciplinary team of providers will work collaboratively to ensure your child has the right dosage to remain calm and comfortable throughout.
Because we believe in caring not just for the patient but also for the whole family, we will also work to ease parents’ fears while providing safe and efficient care.
Treatment of Chronic Pain in Children
While it’s common to think of sedation as being synonymous with anesthesia, that’s only partially true. Though anesthesia does include sedation as needed during medical procedures, it also encompasses other therapies needed to help alleviate chronic pain in children, as well as pain associated with medical conditions such as cancer.
That means our medical providers offer management of pain during and after surgical procedures as well as the management of pediatric chronic pain.
Common sources of chronic pain in children include injuries, illness, headache, abdominal pain and musculoskeletal pain, such as back pain. When children are affected by chronic pain, it can affect nearly every aspect of their daily lives, including their mental and emotional health.
Our medical providers understand and are dedicated to providing treatment options that address the root cause of chronic pain, while helping kids manage the effects of pain.
Why Choose Kentucky Children’s Hospital for Pediatric Pain Management?
As with every aspect of your child’s care, we recognize that children have different needs when it comes to pain management. In many cases, young children and adolescents are unable to describe their pain level and what’s needed to alleviate it. Our providers are skilled at assessing comfort level and effectiveness of treatment, even in infants and children who are unable to communicate or have limited communication.
Beyond that, anesthesiology and other pediatric pain management requires specific guidelines and expertise, since choice of medication and dosage for children are dependent on their age, development and size. Our providers in pediatric pain management are experts in these unique needs, giving parents peace of mind when their children need care.
