Day of Surgery

The nurse may bring you special cleansing wipes and give you instructions on how to perform skin antisepsis before surgery.  The wipes work to reduce the number of organisms on the surface of the skin that could cause surgical site infections.

Speak up if someone tries to shave prep the surgical site. Ask, “Why?”  Ask to speak to the surgeon if you still have concerns.

Going to Surgery

• NPO This is a medical abbreviation that means “nothing through the mouth.” Be sure to follow the eating and drinking restrictions. Food or liquids in your child’s stomach can cause choking or vomiting during the procedure.
• A parent or legal guardian must accompany your child and remain with the them throughout the stay.
• If you have other children, arrangements need to be made for someone to care for those children at home or, if school age, get them to and from school.
• On your arrival preoperative staff will escort you to a room where a nurse will assess your child, gather general information, and have them put on a hospital gown.
• If your child is having surgery at the Pediatric Surgery Center at Willis-Knighton South & the Center for Women’s Health, a child life specialist (CLS) may visit to help your child cope with the fear and anxiety related to surgery. The CLS will evaluate their individual needs and interact with your child to let them know what to expect. Ask about the availability of the CLS on the day of your child’s surgery. Due to the volume of pediatric surgeries on this campus, this is the only campus where a CLS is available.
• Expect hospital staff to ask for your name and your child’s name and date of birth multiple times. This is part of our efforts to ensure the safety of your child.
• The anesthesiologist and surgeon will visit you in the pre-op area to go over the plan for surgery, confirm consent, and answer any questions you or your child may have. Surgical site marking will occur during this visit.
• Your child may receive a sedative while in the pre-op area. The medication may cause them to become sleepy and they may have difficulty keeping their balance. Do not leave them alone or allow them to walk without supervision.
• When it is time to go to the operating (OR) room, an OR nurse and pre-op nurse will conduct a hand off and safety check.Once that is complete, your child will be taken to the OR where the team is waiting to receive them.

Waiting

Please remain in the Day Surgery waiting room after your child has been taken to surgery. During the surgery, a nurse will call and give you an update. When the operation is complete, the surgeon will meet with you to explain what they did and tell you how things went.