Weight Limits for Surgery

Could you comment on any kind of weight cut-off for anesthesia for pediatric or ophthalmologic surgery? A parent indicated their physician said 10 pounds was the minimum their child had to weigh before he would consider performing eye surgery. Is this standard? What are the risks?

There is no specific cut-off. Risks are based on history of prematurity, co-existing medical diseases and anatomic variants, which would make intubation difficult.

AZ/TK 7-13-10

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