Your surgery date

We will give you a surgery date during your clinic visit or our surgery scheduler will contact you by phone.

Please call the surgery scheduler immediately (see contact information below) if you have changed your mind about having surgery. This will give us the opportunity to take care of another child who is waiting.

Changes in your child’s health

Please call the admissions office at 916-453-2204 if you notice any change in your child’s health within three weeks of your surgery date, including:

• Cough
• Sore throat
• Breathing problems
• Runny nose/congestion
• Fever
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Rash
• Skin redness
• Night sweats
• Body/scalp itching
• Lice
• Exposure to a contagious disease – chicken pox, measles, etc.
• Cuts/scrapes/skin lesions near the planned surgery area

Appointments

• Pre-op and post-op appointments are a very important part of your child’s care. If the surgery date changes, these appointments may need to be rescheduled. Please call your care manager if you have questions.
• Children with medical problems may require clearances from their specialists, such as a neurologist or cardiologist.
• We may require an evaluation with our pediatrician or pediatric anesthesiologist to ensure that your child is as prepared as possible for a safe surgery and anesthetic.

Please remember to bring to your appointment:

• A list of current medications your child is taking
• X-rays or other diagnostic images/reports
• Your child’s primary care and referring physicians’ name, address, phone and fax numbers
• Insurance card and picture ID

Arrival for surgery

• We will call you the day before your surgery to give you instructions and let you know what time to arrive at the hospital. If surgery is scheduled for a Monday, you will get a call the Friday before your surgery.
• Check in at the hospital lobby reception desk at your arrival time.
• You will be directed to the fourth floor 'same day surgery, morning admissions' area.
• We request that only two adults accompany the patient to the fourth floor surgery area. Due to space restrictions and limited seating, additional friends and family members that come on surgery day will be asked to wait in the first floor main lobby or cafeteria. Minors (less than 18 years old) should not come to the fourth floor. Minors waiting on the first floor cannot be left unattended.
• You will be given your child’s belongings for safe keeping.

After surgery

• For same-day surgery, your child will be discharged directly from the PACU.
• For overnight stays in the hospital your child will be transferred from the PACU to one of our inpatient care units.
• If your doctor gives you a medication prescription, you can fill it at a community pharmacy or at UC Davis across the street.
• For more helpful details, please review your Patient & Family Information Handbook.

Delays

Delays may occur when a hospital emergency case is put ahead of yours or the patient before you has a procedure that lasts longer than planned. It is never easy to wait, so try to keep your child occupied by reading, watching television or using distraction activities. Our child life professionals are available to help you.

Surgery checklist

• Please review your surgery checklist to ensure that necessary arrangements are made, equipment is available, paperwork is complete and your child is ready for surgery.
• Have your checklist completed and readily available for use during your preoperative phone call.
• Bring your list with you on surgery day.

Download printable version of the Surgery Information and Checklist.

Definitions

Admissions Office: Room where surgery check-in begins
AM Admission: Come to the hospital the day of surgery and stay at least one night
Early Admission: Come to the hospital earlier than your surgery day
ICU: Intensive Care Unit
NPO: Latin (nil per os) meaning “nothing by mouth” – refers to fasting
OR: Operating Room
PACU: Post Anesthesia Care Unit (recovery room or wake-up room)
Pre-Op: Preoperative (before surgery) appointment in the outpatient clinic
Pre-op Holding: Before surgery preparation area in the surgery department
Post-Op: Postoperative (after surgery) appointment in the outpatient clinic
Same Day Surgery or “SDS”: Come to the hospital and leave the same day as surgery

Contact information