Elective procedures and anesthesia in children: pediatric surgeons enter the dialogue on neurotoxicity questions, surgical options, and parental concerns.

The Pediatric Anesthesia NeuroDevelopment Assessment research group at Columbia University Medical Center Department of Anesthesiology has conducted biannual national Symposia since 2008 to evaluate study data and invigorate continued thinking about unresolved issues of pediatric anesthesia neurotoxicities. The third Symposium extended the dialogue between pediatric anesthesiologists and surgeons in panel presentations and discussions by four surgical specialists. This paper reports the prevailing opinions expressed by a pediatric general surgeon, urologist, plastic surgeon and ophthalmologist and explores factors related to delayed operative intervention, need for multiple procedures, and parental concerns.