Do children normally have their noses cauterized under a local or general anaesethetic?

[katiekkrruunncchh]

DD14 keeps getting nosebleeds, roughly at the moment about 10 a week, normally last about 10 mins.

GP referred her to an ENT Consultant, spoke to his wife/secretary and she told me they would probably cauterize it on Monday.

GP told us she would be under a GA, although I was worried about DD having a GA, almost felt relieved that she would not be awake! IYKWIM!
Wife/secretary told me they would do it under local.
DD now is stressing that she would rather go without minor op and keep having nose bleeds! She really is a worrier and a panicker .

Monday seems a long way off!

Anyone?

I had it done at the doctors when I as around her age, they stuck a stick with a chemical on it up my nose, didn't use any form of anaesthetic.

this says they can use local

It really isn't bad enough to need a GA

I must admit, was slightly shocked about a GA, but DD seemed to relax an awful lot when GP said about a GA. None of my DC have ever had an operation, never stayed in hospital even for a day! We have been very fortunate that this is the worst that any of DDs have had!

I had it done as a teenager (many years ago) and had some sort of local. IIRC it was in the form of a spray that had a citrus-like smell.

I've never heard of it being done under a GA

I had my nose cauterized 4 times during my childhood. I don't even remember any anaesthtetic but if I did it must have been local. It wasn't very pleasant so I understand your daughters concern, are they suggesting general so she doesn't move? I remember sneezing during the procedure and my nose got burnt. Hopefully things have changed in the last 20 years!
Do you know why she is getting them? I don't know if this is helpful but after years of having them mine stopped when I went to uni, a doctor there asked if my parents smoked (which they did). He talked about the nasal membranes becoming hypersensitive. I also have very bad hayfever which use to then burst the blood vessels hence needimg further cauterizations.
If your daughter does suffer with hayfever I recommend looking at medinose which has been fantastic as it works with densensitising the nasal membranes with infared light, you use it for 3 mins twice a day during the summer.

Neither I or DH smoke, so DD lives in a smoke free house.

DD does not suffer from hay fever. (funny enough other DD suffers from hayfever!)

GP mentioned the GA not the consultant, we haven't actually seen consultant yet, only have spoken to his wife/secretary. It was her that said they don't normally do a GA.

All DD did was sneeze and burst a blood vessel and then unfortunately a couple of days later was hit on the nose by a football (complete accident that resulted in a massive nosebleed!)

I had really bad nose bleeds and had my nose cauterized at the age of 17. I can't see why a 14 year old should not be able cooperate with such a proceedure.

Is unpleasent, but no worst than going to the dentist. I did have a local anaesthetic which involved sticking some strange rags with a chemical on up my nose before. The smell made me feel as high as kite, but the anaesthetic worked.

DD as I said is a panicker! If you could see her then you would understand. I have often wondered if she has some kind of problem with people as she hates other people getting close to her.

She was in tears when he GP looked up her nose as it was painful, plus she was worried what the GP could see up her nose.

She hates the dentist and normally gets herself worked up in a state. She will panic more if she sees the dentist not wearing gloves.

This is the worst thing that has ever happened to any of my DDs, I do try and stop her worrying, but its really hard when they are so against something.

That should read "what the GP could see up her nose other than where it was bleeding!

sorry for the hijack but do any of you know if they do cauterisations on very young kids?

dd (3) got a bad bump in the nose a few months back and has been having more and more frequent noseblleds since.... 4 in the last 24 hours

am taking her to the docs on tuesday and just wondered what's likely to happen with regards treatment

Think they do, have you been to the GP/hospital? Poor DD!

Whoops have just seen that you are going on Tuesday!

Why are you waiting till then?

no car today or tomorrow (5 miles from town)and it's ds's birthday on monday.

she didn't have any after 12 today so seems to have eased up again, she gets them in clusters of a few over a day or 2 and then they stop for a while. every time she gets them though they seem to take longer to clear up so want to get it sorted now.

both my mother and i are prone to nosebleeds so didn't take too much heed at first but neither of us ever had them this often so she must have done some damage on top of the crappy genetics!

I am so proud of my DD. we went for the appointment, bless her, you could see her physically shaking! The Consultant explained everything to her, told her it could be done under a GA, but she would feel better having it with a local, but she was having none of it. said ok, I would like to show you how the local feels etc, she let him, voila, 5 mins later it was all done and dusted, DDs nose cauterised, she is now feeling very proud of herself, even said if she needs to have it done again she will!

Thank you Mr Consultant, you certainly knew how to make a very apprehensive 14 yr old do what she didn't want to do!

If only I could hire him at home!