Pediatric Corrective Spine Surgery: “The Concerns and Essentials of Anaesthetic Management”

Abstract

The perioperative management of children undergoing surgical correction of spinal deformities is challenging, even in the hands of an experienced anesthesiologist. A comprehensive plan is imperative keeping in mind that the surgery is extensive, the patients have other significant organ involvement and the need for neurophysiological monitoring to assess cord function and prevent neurological deficit. Meticulous prone positioning and the application of various blood- sparing techniques are an integral part of the intraoperative management. The pre-operative status and the intra-operative events could help in predicting the need for post-operative ventilatory support. The present article aims to elucidate the importance of a streamlined evaluation, monitoring, management strategy and stratification of these patients for a favorable outcome. Keywords: Paediatric, Spine surgery, Evoked potentials.