Overview
When your child is preparing for surgery, procedures, imaging tests, or needs pain management, you and your child may feel anxious. At NewYork-Presbyterian Queens, our pediatric anesthesiologists are specially trained in the care and special needs of pediatric patients of all ages, from infants to children to young adults. We are committed to providing the highest quality care for children needing anesthesia, enhancing their comfort, and minimizing anxiety. We skillfully customize your child’s anesthesia to their individualized needs to ensure the best outcomes and an experience that is as smooth as possible.
About Our Program
At NewYork-Presbyterian, our specially trained and board-certified pediatric anesthesiologists from NewYork-Presbyterian & Weill Cornell Medicine understand how children differ anatomically and metabolically from adults. We use the most advanced techniques and equipment to reduce pain and discomfort in young people undergoing all types of surgery and procedures.
Our pediatric anesthesiologists have extensive experience providing anesthesia for the full spectrum of pediatric surgical care, from general surgery, urology, burn surgery, otorhinolaryngology (ENT), plastic surgery, neurosurgery, cardiac surgery, and ophthalmology, as well as non-surgical procedures that require the care of a pediatric anesthesiologist.
At NewYork-Presbyterian Queens, our very active and highly specialized Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) receives neonates with various surgical conditions. In addition to the operating rooms, the division provides care for children requiring non-surgical procedures in the diagnostic and interventional imaging suite and the pediatric endoscopy suite.
NewYork-Presbyterian Queens also has a dedicated pediatric pain management program that provides a multimodal approach to managing acute perioperative pain and pain conditions associated with chronic diseases and other complex surgical/medical conditions.
Our pediatric anesthesiologists are integral members of your child’s healthcare team. Before every procedure, they consult closely with your child’s pediatrician, surgeon, and other subspecialists to customize a plan of care. Our pediatric anesthesiologists are available on-site and around the clock to relieve the pain and discomfort of infants, children, and adolescents in our care.
Types of Anesthesia We Provide
The type of anesthesia your child will receive is customized to their age, underlying medical conditions, procedural type and unique needs. Types of anesthesia include:
- Local anesthesia: These agents temporarily stop the sense of pain in only a particular area of the body while your child remains conscious. We usually use this type of anesthesia for minor surgeries.
- Regional anesthesia: With regional anesthesia, we numb only the portion of the body where the surgery will be done. Regional anesthetics include a spinal anesthetic, a single dose of the anesthetic medication into the lower back to numb the lower body before lower abdominal, pelvic, rectal, or leg surgery, and continuous spinal anesthesia (“epidural”). We commonly use epidurals for prolonged surgeries, often involving the legs. In cases where we use an epidural for chest surgery, we inject the anesthetic higher up in the back to numb the chest and abdominal areas.
- General anesthesia: We use general anesthesia to induce unconsciousness during surgery and give it via inhalation.
Our Approach to Care
Holistic and Comprehensive Care
At NewYork-Presbyterian Queens, we recognize that every child has a unique set of symptoms, circumstances, and needs. We take a holistic approach to care that considers the entire patient, including their physical, emotional, and social factors. We partner with patients and their families in shared decision-making, empowering them with knowledge, support, and the most effective treatment options to achieve the best possible outcome for every child.
Always Available
Our pediatric anesthesiologists are available on-site and around the clock to relieve the pain and discomfort of infants, children, and adolescents in our care.
A Multidisciplinary Team Approach
As integral members of your child’s healthcare team, our pediatric anesthesiologists collaborate with surgeons, specialists, and other pediatric healthcare staff to optimize care during the hospital stay, whether it is a same-day procedure or an inpatient admission. Additionally, there is a dedicated staff of child-life professionals who work with the children and families pre-operatively to allay their fears and answer questions.
Family-Friendly Environment
At NewYork-Presbyterian Queens, we provide family-centered care and believe parents are key players in the surgical process. We ensure that parents are with their children in the recovery room immediately after surgery/anesthesia to comfort and reassure their children as they wake up.
Parents As Team Members
As a parent, only you can provide important information about your child. You can also help other team members shape your child’s personalized treatment program based on your child’s physical, emotional, and practical needs. Your input is critical for making final decisions regarding your child’s care and our multidisciplinary team is here to work alongside you and your family to achieve the greatest possible outcomes for your child.
Child Life Specialists
Our dedicated child life specialists work with your child and your family before surgery or a procedure to address any fears, reduce anxiety, and answer any questions you may have. They are specially trained and certified to ensure that each child’s hospital experience is positive and supportive.
Why Choose Us
Exceptional Expertise
Our pediatric anesthesiologists from NewYork-Presbyterian & Weill Cornell Medicine are specially trained and board-certified to treat young patients. We provide anesthetics for thousands of surgical, diagnostic, or treatment procedures that children have here each year.
Level III NICU
NewYork-Presbyterian Queens is a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). NewYork-Presbyterian Queens offers advanced-level care for high-risk infants born with extremely low birth weight. We have a wide range of comprehensive services including respiratory support, advanced imaging, and on-site access to pediatric subspecialties.
Seamless Access to World-Class Medical Experts
NewYork-Presbyterian Queens is affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian & Weill Cornell Medicine, an Ivy league medical school that is among the nation’s best in patient care, medical education, and research. We offer many of the highly specialized services typically found in an academic medical center, but without the commute to Manhattan and in the comfortable setting of a local community hospital. Your child has access to the world-class resources available through our affiliations with the NewYork-Presbyterian healthcare network, ensuring that they receive the most advanced care close to home.
Affiliated with Nationally Ranked Children’s Hospitals
NewYork-Presbyterian Queens offers young patients seamless access to two renowned children’s hospitals, NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children’s Hospital. Both hospitals are among the nation’s leading centers for diagnosing and treating childhood diseases. They are major referral centers for complex and rare disorders in infants, children, and adolescents.
5-Star Quality Rating
NewYork-Presbyterian Queens has received the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) 5-star Quality rating, becoming the only hospital in Queens to achieve this recognition. This prestigious rating reflects our unwavering commitment to providing patients with the highest quality patient care.
Convenient Locations
Through NewYork-Presbyterian Medical Group Queens, we offer pediatric healthcare services at several convenient locations close to where you live or work.