More evidence confirming the safety of general anesthesia in pediatric dermatologic surgery

Outpatient surgical procedures performed in medicine have been increasing, as has the use of general anesthesia. Children are more likely to require general anesthesia for procedures because of developmental constraints limiting their cooperation. Dermatology procedures are typically painful and can require time to perform and thus necessitating the use of general anesthesia. Studies evaluating safety and complication rates associated with the use of general anesthesia in children are needed to determine the safety of this practice. The purpose of this investigation was to assess whether the use of general anesthesia to perform pediatric dermatology surgical procedures was associated with any significant adverse events. A retrospective chart review was conducted for eligible patients with a procedure code in the range of 10,040-19,499 for a period of 2 years. Records were reviewed for documentation of any unplanned visits, events or complications. A total of 681 procedures were reported for 226 unique patients with 235 diagnoses. No anesthesia-related adverse events were identified in any of these patients. Eleven patients had documentation of minor complications of the wound. General anesthesia can be used safely in pediatric dermatology surgery patients without associated complications in the appropriate setting, indication, and patient population, using state-of-art technology and equipment, and experienced pediatric-trained anesthesiologists.