Surgery Tips
Read these 23 Surgery Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Mom tips and hundreds of other topics.
Surgery Jitters
Reassure your child that when they wake up after the procedure is done, you will be there, waiting. Cross your heart.
Tonsillectomy
After surgery, it takes a few days before all systems seem back to normal. After tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy, start with room temperature clear fluids, before trying cold ones like freezies. If tolerated well, i.e. minimum discomfort, let them eat, suck or drink as much as possible.
Tonsillectomy
The pain after tonsillectomy surgery is worse than any strep throat you ever have had. Coach the child well before surgery that to talk will hurt. To cry will hurt. Practice miming and brush up on playing charades. Everyone in the family should learn your personal secret hand signals.
Preparing for surgery
Do not make major changes to your child's routines a week before surgery. If you were thinking of starting to wean from the breast, keep thinking but do not start until child has fully recovered. The closeness and guaranteed nourishment is much more valuable than dropping the routine.
Preparing for surgery
Do not make major changes to your child's routines a week before surgery. If the baby still uses a pacifier to soothe them or a bottle at bedtime, now is not the time to wean or go cold turkey without. Let them keep their security and comfort tools until well healed.
Preparing your child for Surgery
Do not make major changes to your child's routines a week before surgery. If toilet training is interrupted due to stress, don't sweat it. Do not put undeserved pressure on the child for failure to perform if bladder and bowel control have not been fully mastered.
Tonsillectomy
The pain of tonsillectomy after surgery is worse than any strap throat you ever have had. Try to wait at least 20 minutes after giving pain medication to the child before offering anything to drink or eat.
Preparing your child for Surgery
Doctor's orders say "Nothing to eat or drink after midnight" e.g. Swishing and spitting out a favorite beverage to give your child a hint of flavor is acceptable on the morning of surgery. If your child tends to swallow when practicing, do not attempt.
Preparing your child for Surgery
Pre-op instructions will say no food or drink for a number of hours before surgery. This is to prevent accidental vomiting while under anesthesia that in turn could be fatal. If your child tends to get up to the bathroom during the night, remove all cups that are normally kept in sight.
Preparing your child for Surgery
Most hospitals will try to schedule children for surgery as early in the day as possible. Children tend to show signs of dehydration very quickly when food and fluids are necessarily withheld.
Tonsillectomy
The pain following tonsillectomy and / or adenoidectomy is worse than any strep throat you ever have had. Talk to your child about pain and drugs or alternatives after surgery. You can lessen the discomfort by freely giving acetaminophen (Tylenol, Tempra) every 4 hours for the first day regardless of child's denial of pain. Let the child chose the favorite flavor syrup.
Recovery time
If the child normally has an active social life, be sure to continue to include his and her friends in the recovery period after surgery. Your child is not contagious. His friends can learn a lot, too, that will make their acceptance of a similar experience a little easier.
Preparing your child for Surgery
Know your child. If they tend to make up stories or are sometimes less than honest about things that may reflect badly on themselves, reserve tooth brushing activities immediately prior to surgery. You may consider having them sleep with you the night before surgery if they tend to drink when visiting the bathroom.
Preparing for your Child's Surgery
Talk to your child about pain and drugs or alternatives after surgery. You can lessen the discomfort by freely giving acetaminophen (Tylenol, Tempra) every 4 hours for the first day regardless of child's denial of pain.
Preparing for Surgery
Do not make major changes to your child's routines a week before surgery. If they have a favorite toy, pillow or blanket, plan to take it with you to the hospital.
Preparing your child for Surgery
If he or she has a favorite blanket or teddy bear, take extra care not to lose it. Ask the child to tell and teach teddy all about his/her upcoming hospital adventure. It is amazing how much information gets distorted between you and bear. Correct and reteach as necessary.
Preparing your child for Surgery
Supervise morning tooth brushing routines with your child. Swishing and gargling are OK. Just DO NOT SWALLOW. Practice every day for at least a week before surgery.
Preparing yoour Child for Surgery
Retain your usual bedtime routines the night before surgery. Familiarity will help settle the child. Reinforce the lessons of no drinking or eating. If you must rise before the regular routine, remind the child that you will be in to wake him up in plenty of time to get ready. Then get a good night's sleep yourself.
Recovering from surgery
Resuming their former full activity level is a goal not necessarily required to be completed in a day. Let the child set the pace for her own activity stamina.
Preparing your child for Surgery
If your child "accidentally" drinks or eats something after being instructed not to, try to estimate how much. e.g. 1 freezie, a "sip"( less than a tablespoon). Notify the hospital immediately as your surgery may be canceled or delayed.
Surgery Sadness- MOM
Be prepared to get overwhelmingly emotional when the hospital staff take your child out of your line of vision. Smile brightly and reassuringly, help the staff try to befriend your child in one minute or less. Bring kleenex for yourself when he or she is out of sight.
Preparing your Child for Surgery
Do not make major changes to your child's routines a week after surgery. Adding the stresses of new skills or expectations can slow down the learning process and frustrate both of you.
Preparing Your Child for Surgery
The surgeon's office and/or the pre-operation (pre-op) clinic has probably given you a list of things to do before surgery. e.g. Blood tests done before a certain date, physical exam by the family doctor, cessation of drugs, who to notify if an infection develops, and how long before surgery the patient needs to be fasting from all food and drink. Follow to the letter. Failure to do so may cause your procedure to be cancelled.
