Question:

Answer:

• Before the operation – Before surgery a doctor will explain the procedure and tell you about how long it will take. An operating room nurse and a member of the anesthesiology staff will also visit your child before surgery to explain the process. Please feel free to ask any questions you have during this time.
• In the pre-operative room – You will be able to stay with your child right up until the moment he or she is taken to the operating room. When you come to the pre-operative room you will be met by an operating room nurse who will be with your child during the entire surgical process. This nurse will also come speak to you periodically during the surgery to let you know how things are going.
• In the operating room – Once your child is in the operating room a flavor-scented mask will be used to give the first phase of anesthesia. Your child may choose the flavor. (Older patients may choose to go to sleep intravenously rather than using a mask.) If your child requires an IV line, it will be started after he or she has fallen asleep, following the start of anesthesia. In most cases, any uncomfortable procedure will be done while your child is under anesthesia.
• Recovery – Immediately after surgery your child will be moved to the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), or recovery room, for close observation as they awaken from anesthesia. When the surgery is finished, the surgeon will meet with you to discuss your child’s surgery. Children awake from anesthesia at different rates, so recovery times vary.
  
  Parents are welcome to be with their child during their stay in recovery. Parental visits in the PACU are determined by the child’s emotional needs and medical stability.
• After surgery - Once your child is medically stable he or she will be transferred to a nursing unit for the remainder of the hospital stay. If he or she has had same-day surgery the PACU nurse will speak with you and provide instructions for your child’s at-home care.
  
  Your child will need to be awake, alert and drinking some fluids before going home. At that time, or after your child’s remaining hospital stay is complete, he or she will be ready for discharge.