Inform Yourself
Before you can prepare your child for surgery, you must prepare yourself. Here are some questions to ask your child's surgeon and your child's anesthesiologist. Be sure to take notes on the answers or bring another person with you to listen if you don’t think you will remember all the information.
Questions for the surgeon:
- Can you walk me through the procedure?
- How long will the surgery take?
- How will I take care of the wound/dressing after surgery?
- Will my child feel pain or discomfort after surgery?
- How long after surgery will there be discomfort or pain?
- How soon after surgery can my child go home?
- How can I reach the surgeon if there is a problem at home?
- When is my follow up appointment?
- What restrictions does my child have after surgery?
- When can my child go back to school/daycare/kindergarden?
- Will my child have a visible scar after the surgery?
Questions for the anesthesiologist:
- What type of anesthesia will my child receive?
- How will the anesthesia be administered?
- Who will administer the anesthetic for my child?
- Will my child be sedated before the anesthesia is given?
- What are the risks associated with the anesthetic you are using and how frequent are they?
- Does my child have any special risk factors?
- How long can I be with my child before surgery?
- Can I go into the operating room with my child?
- How soon after surgery can I see my child?
- How long will it take for the anesthetic to wear off?
- What are the side effects of the anesthetic ?
- Will my child have any pain or discomfort after surgery?
- How will the pain or discomfort be addressed ?
- When can my child eat after surgery and what?