We’re comfort and safety ambassadors

At Children’s Minnesota, we have a large team of anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists who specialize in working with kids of all ages. That’s important because children’s bodies differ from adults’ in a number of ways that affect anesthesia — the medicine used to help patients feel no pain during surgery and other invasive procedures.

The anesthesiology team includes dedicated specialists who provide complete anesthesia services for young patients:

• Pediatric anesthesiologists are physicians who specialize in administering anesthesia to babies, children and teens. Before surgery, they assess kids’ medical readiness for the procedure by scrutinizing your child’s health history, current medications and previous surgeries to keep your child as safe and as comfortable as possible. During surgery, they control patients’ pain and consciousness, and they monitor life functions such as heart rate, breathing and body temperature. Each has completed at least eight years of medical training, including medical school, internships, residencies, fellowships and special pediatric training.
• Pediatric certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) are advanced practiced registered nurses who specialize in anesthesia. From the preoperative area to the recovery room, you can count on CRNAs to be with your child throughout their entire surgical experience. Nurse anesthetists are experts in airway management, pain management, and the delivery of all types of anesthesia. The CRNAs at Children’s Minnesota take great pride in delivering high-quality, evidence-based, holistic care, and work in close collaboration with the entire healthcare team to make this possible.

These experts work closely with our acclaimed surgical teams, who treat kids’ conditions from head to toe. They consult with our pain management team. Plus, they collaborate with child life professionals to prepare kids and families for the best possible anesthesia experience.