Board-certified anesthesiologist Lewis Satloff, MD, provides anesthesiology to infants, neonates, and children for varying types of surgery. Based in Texas, Dr. Lewis Satloff serves as a staff anesthesiologist for McAllen Anesthesia Association, and has been practicing adult and pediatric anesthesia for more than two decades.

Both children and adults may experience pre-surgery anxiety due to such things as fear of pain or death, loss of personal identity, or concern about anesthesia. Fortunately, there are several ways you can reduce or manage this anxiety. Here are a few examples:

Learn About the Surgery
Educating yourself about the procedure you are having done will help you feel better about your upcoming operation. Take the time to learn everything you can about success rates and the surgical process from your surgeon and anesthesiologist. Beyond that, think about why you need the surgery, and remember how much better you’ll feel after the procedure is finished.

Prepare Your Body for the Procedure
Your surgeon will likely give you a pre-surgery checklist to follow. However, it’s also important that you prepare your body for surgery, regardless of whether the surgeon talks to you about it or not. This means eating healthy meals leading up to the procedure, getting plenty of rest, and taking approved vitamins and supplements.

Try Alternative Treatments for Anxiety
While there are some medicines that anesthesiologists or surgeons can give you to minimize pre-surgery anxiety, it’s worth trying alternative methods, such as yoga, hypnosis, herbal supplements, and acupressure. These techniques can calm you without creating a medical change in your body. Listening to music or reading has also been linked to lower levels of pre-surgery anxiety.