Edward-Elmhurst Health: How to prepare your child for surgery

It can be overwhelming for parents to learn that their child needs to have an operation/surgery/procedure.

Pediatric surgery is used to treat various illnesses and conditions in babies, children and teenagers. There are a range of pediatric surgeries from the routine to the rare, from appendectomies and hernia repair to congenital abdominal and thoracic surgeries.

In pediatrics, minimally invasive surgery is used whenever possible. This allows a child to have smaller scars, less scar tissue and sometimes recover more quickly. When it’s available, this option is preferable for children so that they can return to their normal activities as soon as possible.

Regardless of what type of surgery a child needs, parents have many questions about how to navigate the situation. Learning more about a child’s diagnosis and operation can go a long way to ease the child’s fears and make parents more comfortable as well. Start with the child’s healthcare team.

Typically, a child’s healthcare team will spend time with parents and the child, explaining the diagnosis and operation in detail, and often with a question-and-answer session at the end of the appointment.

It is helpful for the care team to know the child’s past medical and surgical history, allergies the child may have, medications, and family medical history related to the diagnosis and surgery, such as adverse reactions to anesthesia or medications, as well as a family history of bleeding disorders.

Parents may want to come prepared to the appointment with a list of questions, including what will happen on the day of surgery. Many times, children will come to the hospital and go home the same day. Other times, children need to go to the hospital the night before or stay the night after surgery.

Parents are often allowed to be with their child the entire time, up until they are moved to the operating room for the actual procedure. Unlike with adult patients, in pediatrics, parents are generally allowed to be there soon after the operation, so their child can see them when first waking up from surgery.

A child’s age and maturity level will determine how parents prepare them for surgery.

• For newborns and infants, preparing for surgery is mostly about preparing the parent for what to expect.
• Toddlers may get anxious when separated from their parents. It is helpful for them to have a comfort item from home to take with them.
• School-age children may be concerned about the procedure itself and pain, so be honest with them about what to expect.
• It can help to make teenagers a part of the Q&A session so they feel more empowered about the surgery.

Before surgery, parents should talk about the upcoming procedure with their child. For older children and teens, parents may decide to bring it up about 5-6 days ahead. For toddlers, it may be better to wait until about 1-2 days ahead.

It’s normal for parents to be concerned about their child’s upcoming surgery, but keep in mind that children are often tuned in to their parent’s emotions. Children will look to see your reaction when receiving information about the diagnosis and surgery. Parents should try to have a calm, confident attitude about it in front of their child.

Parents can help their child prepare for his/her upcoming surgery by following these tips:

1. Be honest. Often children have a more positive experience when they understand what’s happening. Providing age-appropriate information and answers to their questions allows a child to be part of their care, promotes a sense of control and builds trust between parent and child.
2. Validate their feelings. Let the child know it’s OK to be scared. Reassure them that the doctors and nurses will work hard to make them feel safe and comfortable, and that mom and dad will be there as well.
3. Watch your words. Use words a child can understand. (“taking a nap” to describe being put under anesthesia and “feel sore” to explain pain). Toddlers will need very simple explanations (“the doctor will make your belly feel better”) but avoid getting into details. School-age children and teens will need more specific information about when they’ll be able to resume activities/sports with friends again.

The night before the procedure, make sure children get adequate rest so that they are less likely to be irritable or out of sorts the next day.

On the day of surgery, children may be comforted by having familiar objects from home, such as a favorite blanket or stuffed animal with them. It may also help to bring items to help distract the child while waiting, such as coloring books, stickers or their favorite TV show or movie downloaded on a device.

For more information, visit EEHealth.org/services/children.