Expert: Dr Ian Jackson - please note UK based - 5/10/2006

Question
my niece had surgery this morning having tubes put in her ears and adnoids taken out. during surgery her blood pressure and oxygen level's dropped. they gave her a breathing tube. she's been out of surgery for 2 hrs and she still hasnt woke up yet. is this common?  

Answer
Hi there
I am sorry to hear of the problems your neice has had during her operation, this must be a very stressful time for yourselves and her parents.
This is not common but does happen.
There are all sorts of reasons why this might have happened but it would be wrong of me to try and guess. Her parents should be fully informed by the surgeon and anaesthetist about what went wrong. As an aside in the UK, it is would be rare to do an operation on adenoids and 'grommets' in a 9 month old child.
I hope she makes a quick recovery.