FAQ
Q: What you and your child can expect after surgery?
A: Diet: Start with clear liquids like soda, clear soup, popsicles and juice. Your child will need to slowly go from clear liquids to food over a 24-hour time span. Some types of surgery may need to have the diet go from liquids to food even more slowly.
Nausea and Vomiting: This is very common after surgery. If vomiting happens after giving clear liquids, do not give your child anything to eat or drink for at least one hour and then try again. Then, give your child small amounts of clear liquid, like an ounce (one or two Tablespoons) every half hour two times. If there is no more nausea or vomiting, increase the amount of clear liquid you give your child.
Sleepiness and Feeling Light-Headed: This is very common. This should pass within 24 hours. While your child feels sleepy and light-headed, keep your child’s activities quiet.
Activity: You will be told what types of activity your child may do. This will depend on the type of surgery your child has had.
Urination: Most children will urinate ("pee") within eight hours after going home from the hospital. If your child has not urinated, call your child’s surgeon.
Pain: You will be told what medicine to give your child for pain. It is also important to help your child deal with pain by keeping your child relaxed and focused on other activities.
Sore Throat: This is common after anesthesia. Offering your child cool, clear liquids will make a sore throat hurt less.
Q: What to do to prepare your child for surgery?
A: It is common for children of all ages to feel afraid about surgery. Preparing your child for surgery will help your child be less fearful. Here are some things you can do:
- Tell your child about the surgery. Use simple words. In general, the younger your child, the less you will need to say. A child’s fear may be the result from a lack of information or misunderstanding. Give your child the correct information in a way your child can understand. Give the same information in the same words each time you talk to your child.
- Use your child's age to decide how far ahead to tell your child about going to the surgery center. For example, if your child is 4-years-old, tell your child about going to the surgery center four days before surgery.
- Ask your child what he or she thinks about going to the surgery center and having surgery. This is a way to find out what types of things you need to tell your child. You may also find out what things your child is most fearful of.
- Be honest when you answer your child's questions. This will help your child trust you and the people he or she will meet at the surgery center.
- When your child talks about being afraid, help your child find ways to cope with fear. For example, your child may cope with fear by holding your hand, or holding on to a special toy or doll, or by counting to ten, or even by singing a special song.
- Read a book to your child about having surgery. There are many very good books to use. A list of books that are good for both you and your child are listed below:
Books for you and your child
Preschool Children (Ages 3-5 years)
- A Visit to Sesame Street Hospital by D. Hautzig
- Going to the Hospital by Fred Rogers
School-Age Children (Ages 6-12 years)
- A Hospital Story by Sara Bonnet Stein
- The Hospital Book by James Howe
- Why Am I Going To The Hospital? by Claire Ciliotta & Carole Livingston
- Good-Bye Tonsils by Juliana Lee Hatkoff and Craig Hatkoff
Adolescents (Ages 13-19 years)
- For Teenagers: Your stay in the Hospital by the Association for the Care of Children's Health
- The Teenage Hospital Experience: You can Handle It by Elizabeth Richter
For Parents
All the following books have chapters on how to prepare a child for a hospital stay and/or surgery.
- A Child In Pain: How to Help, What to Do by Leora Kuttner
- Mr. Rogers Talks With Parents by Fred Rogers
- Touchpoints by T. Berry Brazelton
Special tips to prepare different age children
Infants (newborn to 12 months)
Younger infants (newborn through 6 months of age) separate from their parents more easily then older infants. For the older infant, not being able to see a familiar caregiver is often the most stressful part of surgery! For infants, pacifiers, favorite blankets or special toys can provide comfort and security.
Toddlers (ages 1 year to 2 years)
The toddler will express his or her feelings loudly and often! This is OK. Toddlers are also very active. Having surgery means that the toddler will have activities limited for a while. Plan for quiet activities after surgery that your toddler may do such as coloring or using modeling clay. For toddlers, pacifiers, favorite blankets or special toys can provide comfort and security.
Preschoolers (ages 3 years to 5 years)
The preschool child is curious and will want to know what will happen. Explanations should be simple and short; too much detail may be confusing. Storybooks that have realistic pictures of medical equipment are helpful for the preschooler. The preschool child may also be angry about having surgery or may believe that the surgery is a punishment. Reassure your child that the surgery is no one’s fault.
Schoolager (ages 6 years to 12 years)
The schoolage child may be more fearful of painful procedures, such as having an I.V, then the surgery itself. Provide clear explanations of what will be done to decrease pain. In general, the schoolage child will need more detailed explanations of the events that happen before, during and after surgery. The older schoolage child may be concerned about how the surgery might change how he or she looks.
Teenager (ages 13 and older)
Teens need clear answers about what will happen to them and should be a part of any discussions with doctors and nurses. The teenager is often most concerned about how the surgery will affect daily activities with friends. Your teenager needs your support while still being allowed independence and participation in decisions about surgery.
Words you and your child may hear
- Anesthesia: special medicine that makes your child sleep and feel no pain during surgery.
- Anesthesiologist: a doctor with special training to give your child anesthesia medicine.
- Blood Pressure: a measurement that shows how well your child's heart is working. This is one of the vital signs.
- Epidural: pain medicine that is given in a space in the backbone.
- General Anesthesia: another way of saying "anesthesia."
- I.V. (Intravenous): a way of giving your child fluids during the time when your child is not able to drink during and after surgery.
- Lab Work: this is a short way of referring to tests that are done in the hospital laboratory. These tests are often done on a sample of blood.
- Local Anesthetic: pain medicine that numbs a small area.
- Premedication: medicine that is given to your child before surgery. This type of medicine is usually given by mouth. It will help your child relax.
- Preoperative (Pre-Op): this is another way of saying the time before your child goes to surgery.
- Pulse: this is a count of how many times your child’s heart beats in one minute. This is one of the vital signs.
- Recovery Area: this is the special area where your child will wake up from surgery.
- Respiratory Rate: this is the count of how many times your child breathes in one minute. It is one of the vital signs.
- Surgeon: a doctor with special training to do surgery.
- Temperature: a measurement of how warm your child’s body is. This is one of the vital signs.
- Vital Signs: your child’s temperature, pulse, respiration rate and blood pressure measurements.
