Regional anesthesia is a great post-op pain reliever for pediatric patients, because they often can't communicate their needs, nor can they use a patient-controlled analgesia device. Regional also boosts blood flow to the operative site, which can translate to faster recoveries. Though children must be sedated or anesthetized for most regional blocks - a normal 4-year-old simply won't cooperate sufficiently - nerve stimulators and ultrasound guidance minimize the chances of nerve damage and inaccurate block placement. Differences in technique and pharmacology due to anatomical and physiological differences between children and adults are the real issues. Here's a guide to understanding and dealing with those differences.