Pediatric Surgery – Day of Surgery

Where to Report:

Outpatient surgery patients should report to our Outpatient Registration in the front of the hospital for both pre-testing and surgery. Please park in the front parking lot near the middle of the hospital and enter through the middle doors.

What to Bring:

• Physician Order
• Any forms from your physician relating to this visit
• Your insurance / Medicaid / Medicare card
• Driver’s License / Photo Identification
• List of current medications along with the dosages and times taken, including over-the-counter drugs and herbals
• Please check with your insurance carrier for any authorization requirements.

Patient Instructions:

• Make proper arrangements to have another responsible adult accompany you to the hospital and drive you back home. You must not drive a vehicle for 24 hours after anesthesia.
• Do not take any food or fluids (not even water or coffee) after midnight the night before your surgery. You may brush your teeth, just don’t swallow any water. A small sip of water is permitted in order to take any pre-operative medications ordered by your surgeon or anesthesiologist. If you take medication for your blood pressure you may take it with a sip of water the morning of surgery.
• Notify your surgeon of any changes in your physical condition, such as cold, fever or sore throat.
• Do not wear any makeup, nail polish, or jewelry to the hospital. If you have artificial nails you must remove polish from each index finger. Wear loose comfortable clothing. Do not bring valuables (money, credit cards, jewelry) with you.
• If you wear contact lens or eye glasses, please bring a case with you to protect them during surgery.
• After your operation you should not ingest any alcohol or make any important business or personal decisions for at least 24 hours.
• Parent or legal guardian must accompany children under the age of 18.
• Please follow any other specific instructions given to you by your surgeon.
• Please read the Procedure Information for additional instructions and information.

Procedure Information:

To help eliminate some of the fear your child may have, we allow one parent to accompany the child to the Operating Room and stay until they are asleep. Here is some information to help you know what to expect: Only one parent may accompany the child to the Operating Room. You will be given a gown and hat to put on over your clothes prior to going to the Operating Room. You may be asked to hold your child in your lap until he/she goes to sleep. Your child will be attached to several monitoring devices such as a heart monitor, blood pressures cuff, etc. A mask will be placed over your child’s face in order for him/her to breathe the anesthesia gas. The smell is funny so he/she may try to pull the mask away. You may be asked to leave if your child is not cooperating. Your child may go through a phase of excitement. He/she may become agitated and try to pull the mask off. This is a natural response. The nurse may assist with keeping your child safely on the bed. However, the anesthesia gas works very fast and your child will start to drift off in another 30 seconds or so. Their arms and legs will become limp and their eyes may begin to roll. While your child is going to sleep you should speak softly. Once your child is asleep you will be escorted to the waiting area. You will be notified when your child is in Recovery Room and you will be allowed to go to your child as soon as he/she is awake (approximately 30 minutes).

Additional Information:

If your child drinks from a special cup or a bottle please bring one with you the morning of surgery. We are able to provide juice but if your child needs formula please bring it with you. Security items (pacifier, blanket, special toy, etc.) are most welcome and can go to surgery with your child.

Specific Form(s) to remember:

Pre-operative Instruction Form