Anaesthetics

We provide an anaesthetic service to children of all ages. At Wycombe Hospital nwe have a day case ward for children who need dental, ENT, urology, plastic and orthopaedic surgery.

At Stoke Mandeville Hospital, we have 2 theatre complexes for different specialities; general and emergency surgery, plastic surgery and trauma (New Wing), and day surgery theatres and ophthalmology/dental surgery (Mandeville Wing).

Children may need to stay overnight following surgery, predominantly on ward 3.

What to expect before your child’s elective surgery

We pre-assess all planned (elective) paediatric patients, mostly with a screening questionnaire, and if necessary, with a follow up phone call. Your child will rarely need to visit the hospital for their pre-assessment.

We cover all aspects of the journey through surgery, provide pain relief and pre-medication as required.

If you and your child feel nervous

You can get a virtual tour of the operating theatre at the hospital where your child will have their surgery. It will help familiarise you both with the important areas in the hospital and may help you and your child feel more settled.

Download the ‘Little Journey’ app for your Apple or Android device and choose the relevant hospital (Stoke Mandeville or Wycombe).

You can also find out more about your child’s general anaesthetic to help you understand what to expect.

What happens on the day of surgery

We’ll come and see you on the ward on the day of surgery to discuss the anaesthetic and your child’s medical history.

After your child’s surgery

We work closely with our paediatric colleagues if they’re concerned about a particularly sick child, who may require a period of ventilation, invasive monitoring or transfer to a specialised paediatric intensive care unit.

We provide an anaesthetic service to the maternity unit at Stoke Mandeville 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

We help pregnant women both before, during and after birth and provide pain relief methods for labour including epidurals. We also provide anaesthesia for delivery (caesarean section and planned caesareans, and more complex deliveries such as forceps).

We work closely with the obstetric and midwifery team to build individualised care plans for childbirth.

Our team also runs high risk obstetric anaesthetic clinics for mothers with complex pregnancies and specific medical issues.

Find out more about the pain relief options for labour