Anesthesia for laser surgery of the airway in children

Summary Anesthesia for laser surgery in children carries a number of particular challenges and pitfalls. The anesthetist must be aware not only of the problems of anesthetizing a patient with a potentially compromised airway but also of how to maintain homeostasis when surgery is taking place, as procedures may make a bad situation temporarily worse. Personnel must also be very aware of the benefits and dangers of medical lasers, and what safety precautions must be taken to ensure their proper use. This section will deal with the properties of lasers, how and why they are used, and a description of how these procedures are carried out in our own institution.