Expert: Ronald Levy, M.D. - 4/7/2008

Question
My daughter is 9 months old and his having ear tube surgery.  Can you tell me the type of anesthesia they will use and what the risks of the anesthesia?

Answer
She will have general anesthesia by mask. The risks are very minimal assuming she is otherwise healthy. The whole procedure takes about 10-15 minutes. She may wake up with an IV (they put it in after she is asleep so it doesn't hurt) and other than the fact that she might feel feeling sleepy and cranky for a day or so, there are no other problems you need to worry about.

Ronald Levy, MD
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
UTMB-Galveston