Thoracic surgery in children.

Anesthesia for thoracic surgery in children covers a wide range of ages, associated disease processes, and surgical pathology. Therefore, the anesthetist must be prepared to deal with a diverse group of patients of all ages along the pediatric spectrum, combining knowledge regarding both pediatric and thoracic anesthesia. The following article reviews the anesthetic care of infants and children during thoracic surgery with emphasis on: (i) preoperative assessment; (ii) techniques for one-lung ventilation; (iii) anesthetic implications of specific procedures including laryngoscopy/bronchoscopy, thoracoscopic procedures, and open thoracotomy; and (iv) postoperative considerations including pain management.