Anesthesia outside the operating room

Abstract

Conducting operative procedures in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) remains a contentious and controversial subject. The NICU is used as an operating room (OR) in many centers for selected critically ill neonates. There are both risks and benefits to the neonate, the surgery team, and the anesthesiologists when performing operative services in the NICU. Select factors in neonatal physiology that might impact anesthesia during surgery outside the OR are reviewed followed by a discussion on benefits, risks, and indications for operating in the NICU