Preparing Your Child for Surgery
It is important for parents to address their child’s fears of doctors or upcoming treatments from the very beginning. When you as a parent get a better understanding of the procedures and treatment that your child has to undergo, you will have a better time preparing your child for surgery.
There are numerous other things you could do to alleviate your child’s fear of the surgery including prioritising finding the right child specialist, as they can not only treat your child but also work with them to ensure they are comfortable with the treatment and alleviate any fears they may have.
For additional tips and guidance on preparing your kids for surgery, keep reading further. Our guide was created with the purpose of providing patients and their families with excellent care.
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A] Contacting Your Child’s Surgeon
Please contact the surgeon’s office if you have any questions about the date and time of your child’s surgery or the pre-surgical instructions. It is important to notify your child’s doctor if there is any change in your child’s health before surgery.
Our centre can provide a pre-surgical tour for you and your child to help ease anxiety about his or her upcoming hospital experience. During the tour, you will meet the hospital staff, visit the preoperative waiting areas, the Operating Room when available, and other areas you may see on the day of surgery. If your child will be staying overnight in the hospital, you may also be able to tour the pediatric unit (which includes a patient room, the nursing station and playroom).
This is an excellent way to help your child learn about the process and adjust to the environment. Your child will have the opportunity to see, hear and touch medical equipment, ask questions and meet friendly staff.
B] How do we prepare for surgery?
1. Food and Drink
The table in this section outlines the required NPO guidelines you should follow based on your child’s age. NPO means “Nothing by Mouth ”, which includes not consuming the following by mouth: food, chewing gum and liquids. If your child should eat or drink within the required fasting period, the surgery may be postponed or rescheduled. For safety reasons, anaesthesia cannot be given unless your child has an empty stomach. When you contact a reputed surgeon, you can rest assured that a trained anesthesiologist will be in charge of administering anaesthesia to your child.
If your child takes medication, you will be given specific instructions whether to give the medicine the morning of surgery.
If you have any questions regarding NPO requirements, please contact your child’s surgeon. Our team has a commitment to explain our procedures in order to provide excellent care for your child.
Types of Liquid or Food
- Clear Liquids
- Breast Milk
- Infant Formula
- Non-human Milk
- Solid Food
Do Not Drink or Eat
- 4 hours before test or procedure
- 4 hours before test or procedure
- 6 hours before test or procedure
- 6 hours before test or procedure
- 8 hours before test or procedure
Sleep Apnea
The condition of sleep apnea is characterized by repeated stopping and starting of breath while sleeping. The National Library of Medicine conducted a study in which 15.3% of the study subjects had painless nocturnal enuresis (bedwetting, not being able to control your pee), and 47 of these children (30.7%) had Sleep Disordered Breathing problems. Several factors may explain the correlation between bed-wetting and sleep apnea, including bladder pressure, arousal response, and urinary hormones released during sleep.
While sleep apnea is one of the significant risk factors for sleep disorders, it is also common in adults, men, and obese people. The condition of sleep apnea can be managed through breathing assistance devices that can help provide continuous positive airway pressure, sometimes referred to as a CPAP machine.
2. Checklist To Go Through before Surgery
- Remove all jewellery, including all piercings.
- Remove all nail polish and make-up.
- Leave valuables at home.
- Bring a container for eyeglasses or contact lenses. If your child wears contacts, consider using glasses during the hospital stay.
- Bathe your child the night before or morning of surgery. You may be asked to use a special soap the evening before surgery to help prevent infections. Place your child in clean clothes and sleep on clean sheets. Do not use any lotions, colognes, powders and deodorant or hair products.
- If your child has long hair, braid it before surgery and secure with an elastic band (no metal clips).
- Dress your child in comfortable clothes.
- You may bring a favourite toy or blanket that helps your child go to sleep or feel comfortable. Please put your child’s name on it. You can do so by putting a name label on it.
- Wash blankets and toys before bringing them to the hospital, make sure they are clean.
C] How Do I Talk to My Child About Surgery?
In addition to getting your child physically prepared for surgery, there are other ways to prepare them so that your child feels as comfortable as possible. These methods vary depending on your child’s age and experience. Remember to give honest, simple explanations.
If you don’t know the answer, it is okay to say “I don’t know, but I will find out.”
1. Infants and Toddlers (aged 2 years)
While preparing your toddler for surgery, it is most important that you remain your child’s greatest source of comfort. Continue to hold and comfort your child while the staff is setting up. While you are waiting for your child’s surgery, you may want to bring a favourite book, blanket, stuffed animal or toy.
2. Pre-schoolers (aged 3-5 years)
During the days leading up to your child’s surgery, you may want to talk about going to the hospital and what your child can expect to see there. Read books about the hospital and bring the hospital into daily play (doctor kits, adhesive bandages, etc.). You can emphasise that your child’s surgery is the best way for the doctors to help your child feel better or to fix something in his body. Make sure to reassure your child that the surgery is not their fault and explain that it is not happening because they did something wrong.
3. School-aged children (aged 6-12 years)
School-aged children often have concerns about the sensations they will feel during surgery, as well as the sequence of events they may experience. Explain that your child’s anaesthesiologist will make certain she does not wake up during surgery and that she will not feel anything.
For example, “The doctor will give you a mask to help you fall asleep. The mask goes over your nose and mouth, and can feel squishy. After some deep breaths, you will be asleep!” Talk about how this surgery may change his or her appearance, if applicable, explaining bandages, tubes, casts, etc.
4. Teenagers (aged 13-19 years)
Teenagers are concerned with their privacy, the effectiveness of anaesthesia, and how a procedure might alter their appearance. You can be supportive by encouraging expression of these concerns and reassuring your teen.
When children do not understand a procedure, they might assume the worst and hold secret fears about what might happen. Many fear that surgery will hurt or that they will not wake up from the anaesthesia. By explaining the procedure appropriately to your child, you may calm these fears and decrease your child’s anxiety.
D] Day Of The Surgery
1. What Should We Bring to the Hospital?
In order for the day to go smoothly and to make your child feel comfortable, please bring the following items with you on the day of surgery:
- List of your child’s current medications
- Any paperwork such as history and physical done by your pediatrician, or lab results
- Comfort items such as favourite stuf
- Favourite books or quiet toys
2. When do we come to the Hospital?
On the day of surgery, please arrive two hours before the scheduled time.
3. Who Will We Meet On the Day of Surgery?
Nurse – The nurse will meet you and your child in the pre-op area to do an assessment and get your child ready for surgery. A nurse will also be present during your child’s recovery after surgery.
Clinical Technician – The tech will assist the nursing staff in caring for your child.
Anesthesiologist – The anesthesiologists primary responsibility is to provide safe and optimal conditions during surgery and to make the entire experience as comfortable as possible. They will administer anesthesia medications, monitor your child’s vital signs during the entire process, and administer pain medications as needed.
Surgeon – The surgeon is the doctor who has scheduled the surgery and will be conducting the procedure.
Pediatric Surgeon – The pediatric surgeon is the doctor responsible for scheduling and performing the surgical procedure.
Operating Room Nurse – The OR Nurse assists the Surgeon during the surgery. Before the procedure, the nurse will introduce him or herself and respond to any queries you may have.
4. What Happens On the Day of Surgery?
Preoperative Area
Please check in at the registration desk when you arrive at the hospital. You will be asked to fill out some paperwork, and the staff will confirm your child’s name and date of birth.
After you have registered, the staff will return you to the pre-op area. A nurse will check and gather information such as your child’s height, weight, blood pressure, temperature, and pulse oxygen level. In addition, he or she will verify your child’s medical history, allergies, and surgical procedures. Your child will then change into hospital clothes.
The anesthesiologist and surgeon will also meet you in the pre-op area to go over the surgical plan, get your consent, and answer any questions that you may have. The surgeon will mark the surgical site with a special marker to verify the procedure. During the entire process, staff will ask you and your child’s name, birth date, and surgical procedure several times. This is done for the safety of your child.
The Operating Room
When it is time to go back to the operating room, the OR nurse and anaesthesia provider will come to the pre-op area and conduct another safety check. If your child is given an IV in the preoperative area, the anesthesiologist may pre-medicate your child with relaxing medicine before going back to the OR.
When your child is in surgery, the staff will bring you to the main pre-op waiting area. You may go to a nearby coffee cart or cafe if you need to, but we ask that one parent remain in the waiting area to be present for any information or updates. The total length of time in surgery varies with each child and depends on the type of procedure being done.
After your child’s surgery, he or she will be taken to the Pediatric Post Anaesthesia Care Unit (PACU). Your child may or may not be awake when you arrive in the PACU because every child awakens from surgery at a different rate. The nurse in the PACU will watch your child closely as they recover from their anaesthetic and treat pain or nausea.
E] How Do I Help My Child With Pain?
Appropriate pain medications will be given based on your child’s needs. Sometimes pain is not just from surgery, but can also occur from gas, muscle aches, and other sources. It is our commitment to control your child’s pain to keep him or her very comfortable.
You can also help your child by:
- Position your child in a comfortable position
- Listening to your child’s cues and validating when they are feeling uncomfortable
- Encourage your child to tell you and your nurse when he or she feels uncomfortable so we can address it
- Holding your child when able
- Softly touching your child
- Speaking softly to your child
- Using distraction techniques such as singing, playing, and watching movies
- Helping your child self-soothe by guiding him or her through deep breathing or counting
- Offering choices where possible
- Encouraging your child to move and walk, when appropriate
- Allowing for adequate rest
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F] After Surgery
When your child is fully awake and recovered, the staff will go over discharge instructions with you. They will then help you and your child out to your vehicle. If your child needs to stay in the hospital after the surgery, he or she will be taken to a room as soon as one is available. The staff will take you and your child to their room and make sure that you get settled in.
We encourage one parent to stay overnight with children to make the experience more comfortable. The nurse will give you written instructions when your child is ready to go home. It is important that you follow these instructions and any special instructions from your child/s doctors. Please contact the doctor’s office if you have any questions.
It is normal for some children to have behavioural reactions after a hospitalisation. If you notice that your child’s behaviour is different, understand that these changes are normal and temporary. Common changes might include regression (sucking his/her thumb or bed-wetting), a change in eating habits, a new need for more attention or affection, or being afraid of the dark or going to sleep.
Validate your child’s feelings and offer emotional support. Reassure them and try to keep your routine as normal as possible. Having an ongoing conversation and allowing your child to express their feelings is the best way to uncover misconceptions and fears that your child may have.
A great way to help alleviate your child’s fear is by consulting a child specialist doctor, who can help put them at ease. So, don’t hesitate to get in touch with a reputed child specialist.
