Surgery

Administering Anesthesia

There will be two main ways that the anesthesiologist will give your body medicine during your surgery:

Induction mask

A nurse takes special care of YOU on the day of your surgery.  You will have lots of them.  They may take your vital signs, give you medicine, or make you feel comfortable.

IV

Stands for intravenous, which means "in-your-vein."  Your veins carry blood through your body.  Giving your body medicine through your veins is the fastest way to make a drink or medicine work.  No matter what, you will get an IV so the doctors and nurses can give your body a drink.  Instead of putting it in your stomach and possibly making your stomach sick from your anesthesia (you don't want to vomit in your sleep—that is dangerous), the drink goes into your blood and keeps you hydrated.  That way you don't get sick from being NPO and not having anything to eat or drink.  They use a small needle to give your body the IV, but the needle comes out and does not stay in your body.  It just helps the special straw (a plastic one like a straw that you drink out of) or catheter to get inside your vein.  If you are afraid of needle pokes, ask your nurse or doctor for a Synera patch so that you will not be able to feel the poke.  It is a special band-aid that has medicine in it that numbs the top of your skin so you cannot feel the poke.  It takes about 20 minutes for your Synera patch to work so make sure to ask for it when you meet your nurses and doctors.

PACU

This is the room where you will wake up after your surgery is over.  The doctors will stop giving you medicine and you will take another ride in your bed to this room (all while you are still asleep).  You will have a special nurse at your bed to take care of you while you are waking up from your surgery.  It is very important for you to tell your nurse if anything hurts so that nurse can give you special medicine and help you feel better.  One parent at a time can be with you in this room.  You may have a funny taste in your mouth from the medicine and you may hear lots of beeping sounds when you wake up.  You may also hear other children in the room waking up from their surgeries too.  You will not be able to see the other children because of curtains. You will get to have popsicles, juice, water or slushies in this room.

Post-op holding

If you are going home after your surgery is over, you will wait in this room until it is time to go home.  Here you can continue to eat popsicles or have something clear to drink, like apple juice, Sprite, or water.  You may need to use the restroom before you go home and your nurse will show you were the restroom is located.  A special person will take you to your car in a wheelchair (a special chair with wheels on it so you get to ride, not walk).  This is just in case you still feel tired from the medicine.  Remember to make sure to tell your family if you do not feel good when you get home and take all your medicine.

Admission to the hospital

You may need to spend the night after your surgery so the doctors and nurses can take special care of you.  If so, you will ride in your bed from the PACU to a private room.  One parent may spend the night with you after your surgery.  You will have a television in your room where you can watch cartoons and movies and there is even a Playroom for you to play in once it is time to get up and moving before you can go home.  There is a hospital cafeteria and you will be able to order something to eat and it will be delivered to your room.  Your parent may purchase a dining card for $5.00 from the cafeteria and order room service with you.

Contacting child life specialists

If you need more information in how to prepare your child for his/her surgical experience or you notice that your child has specific questions, fears, or concerns that need to be addressed, contact a child life specialist. Child life specialists help patients cope with being in the hospital.  They are available to talk with your child about what to expect during surgery.  Children age 3 or older may benefit most from this experience.  If you would like to talk with a child life specialist, please call 214-456-8118 or 214-456-3209 between the hours of 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. or request to see a child life specialist at the time of your pre-operative visit.