Spinal anaesthesia for minor paediatric surgery

Our recent experience using spinal anaesthesia for paediatric surgical procedures is reviewed. In 1984, 30 patients aged seven weeks to 13 years were anaesthetised in this manner. Lumbar puncture failed in four of 34 patients, 12 required sedation during the operative course and 11 required light general anaesthesia to complete these procedures. Tetracaine one per cent or bupivacaine 0.75 per cent were the drugs used. During the procedure and depending on their age, the patients were either sedated or were distracted with the use of Disney cartoons played on a video cassette recorder. There were no significant intraoperative or postoperative complications.