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Doctors get creative to distract tech-savvy kids before surgery

Heidi de Marco, Kaiser Health News, resized and cropped
The moment of separation from parents is the peak time for anxiety, but Matthew Husby is completely immersed in the video before being wheeled into surgery.

Most people get a little anxious before they have surgery, especially kids. Anti-anxiety medicines can help, but anesthesiologists in the Bay Area have come up with an alternative that’s safer, cheaper and a little more fun to.

DR. SAM RODRIGUEZ: Anytime we can decrease exposure to a medication, especially in a young child who has a developing brain, it's preferential to use some of these non-medication techniques to get them off to sleep.

This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent, non-profit news service.  To read the full article, click here. 

Crosscurrents