Pediatric surgical services
TMC Health is here to provide your family the best surgical care available. Our surgeons work with you and our multi-disciplinary network of pediatricians and support staff to ensure your child’s health needs are holistically addressed in a timely manner.
Pediatric surgery at TMC Health
Our multi-disciplinary, pediatric surgeons provide comprehensive pediatric care, from basic to complex. Find the surgical care your child needs today.
Patient resources
We understand that surgery can be a scary experience—for both you and your child. At TMC Health, we’re here to help.
Our goal is to ensure your family feels safe and comfortable throughout the care and recovery process, and that starts with answering any questions or concerns you may have.
Below are free resources — including FAQs for both kids and parents — about what to expect before, during and after your child's procedure, as well as tips for managing challenges during recovery:
What to expect when your child has surgery at TMC
Learn what to expect before, during and after your child’s surgery at TMC, with family-centered guidance to help you feel informed and supported today
Surgery Waiting Area: Upon arrival at the hospital, you'll go to the surgery waiting area. The receptionist will check you in and give you and your parents matching ID bracelets so we can know who you are. While waiting, you can play with available toys or bring some from home!
Pre-op Area: When called, a tech will take you to the pre-op area to measure your height, weight and temperature. In your pre-op room, you'll find a bed, chairs for your parents and a TV. Staff will check your blood pressure and use a pulse oximeter before you change into hospital pajamas and get comfortable.
You'll meet the pre-op nurse, child life specialist, surgeon, anesthesiologist and operating room nurse. They'll explain procedures, answer questions and help with any concerns.
Operating Room: After saying goodbye to your parents, you'll be taken to the operating room. Staff may wear masks and hats to keep the area clean. They'll help you onto a different bed and ensure you're comfortable. You might see familiar equipment and heart monitor stickers. The anesthesiologist will use a mask to help you fall asleep while you play or chat.
Recovery Room (PACU): After surgery, you'll wake up feeling sleepy in the recovery room. A nurse will care for you, and your parents will join you here. Most children can have water, juice or a popsicle as they start to feel better.
Receptionist – The person you will meet in the surgery waiting area. She will talk to your parents and give you an ID bracelet.
Patient Care Tech – The person who will call you back to the pre-op area. She will see how tall you are and how much you weigh. She will also take your temperature and blood pressure, and show you the pulse ox.
Pre-op Nurse – The pre-op nurse will get you ready for surgery. She will ask you and your parents questions about you and your body, any other surgeries you have had, and about the last time you had anything to eat or drink.
Child Life Specialist - The child life specialist’s job is to help you understand why you are at the hospital and what will happen while you are there. She also brings fun things for you to play with. If you have any questions or something you are worried about, please let your child life specialist know!
Surgeon – The doctor who will be doing your surgery.
Anesthesiologist – The doctor who will help you go to sleep, make sure you are safe and healthy while you are sleeping and wake you up when your surgery is all finished.
Operating Room Nurse – The nurse’s job is to help make sure everything goes smoothly in the operating room. She will meet you in pre-op and check all of the paperwork to make sure everything has been signed. She might ask you some questions, too!
Recovery Nurse – The nurse that will help make sure you are doing okay when you wake up from your surgery.
We want to make sure that you are safe and comfortable during your surgery, so we use a special medicine to help you sleep the entire time your surgery is happening. This sleep is different than night-time sleep because we use a medicine to make it happen. You don’t even have to be tired! The medicine will keep you asleep until we are finished with your surgery. When we are done, we’ll stop giving you the medicine and you will wake up. The medicine also prevents your body from feeling anything that hurts during your surgery! You won’t see anything, hear anything or feel anything as long as we give you the medicine.
There are two ways for kids to go to sleep for their surgery. The first is through a soft, plastic mask. The mask goes over your nose and mouth. As you breathe, the medicine enters your body and you fall asleep. You can choose a smell for your mask – bubble gum, watermelon, cherry or strawberry. Usually, kids who are under 10 can use the mask to go to sleep.
The second way for kids to fall asleep is through an IV, or an intravenous line. An IV is a small, plastic straw that goes inside a vein (one of those blue lines) on your hand or your arm. We do use a tiny needle to start the IV, but once the straw is in place, the needle is taken out and just the bendy straw is left. We use the tiny straw to put medicine and fluids into your body. Usually, kids who are over 10 use the IV to go to sleep.
Some kids are able to go home after their surgery. You will probably spend about an hour in the recovery room, waking up from your sleep. The recovery nurse will make sure that you are awake and feeling okay. She will also want to make sure that you can have a Popsicle or some juice and that your tummy feels OK. The nurse will go over any instructions with your parents on how to take care of you when you get home.
Some kids have to stay overnight after their surgery. If you stay overnight, you will have your very own room on our pediatric unit or Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). This is where all kids stay overnight at TMC. Your mom or your dad or both will be able to stay overnight with you in your room. There is a television for you to watch TV or movies, or play video games. We have a playroom, an outside play area, a family area and a library to make sure you have fun while you are here. Sometimes we have pet therapy animals that visit, or other special visitors. We also have volunteers who are here to bring you fun things to do if you are bored. Also, you can bring your favorite things from home to make you feel more comfortable, such as a stuffed animal or your favorite pillow. Your brothers and sisters can visit you in the hospital as well.
On the day of your surgery, you will go to the second or third floor of the surgery tower or to the Outpatient Procedure Center, both at Tucson Medical Center. Please go to the registration desk to check in and get your ID bracelet. You will have your ID bracelet on while you are here so the doctors and nurses know who you are.
Once you have checked in, you will be called back to the pre-op area to get ready for surgery. We will take your vital signs, including your height, weight, temperature and blood pressure. You will also need to change into a hospital gown. A pre-op nurse will help to get you ready for surgery. She will ask you and your parents questions about past medical history and the last time you had anything to eat or drink. You will also meet a child life specialist. The child life specialist is available to help you understand more about your surgery, answer any questions you have and bring you fun things to do.
Usually, patients over 10 or 11 years old need to have an IV prior to surgery. IV stands for “intravenous” meaning "in the vein." The IV is a very small plastic straw that is placed in your vein so that your body can be given fluids and medicine. The doctor or nurse will use a needle to place the IV, but once the straw is in the right spot, the needle comes out. To place the IV, the nurse will use a tourniquet (a tight rubber band) to look at your hands and arms. When the right spot has been found, the nurse will then clean the area. You may feel a little poke when the needle goes in. The little straw will then be connected to some plastic tubing and will be taped in place. We will use this IV to give you anesthesia and any other medicines that you may need.
Because most people do not like needles, we offer multiple options to help. Different numbing medicines and distraction techniques can be used so that you don't feel the needle poke as much. We will talk to you about these options on the day of your surgery.
While you're still in the pre-op area, you will also meet the surgeon, anesthesiologist and operating room nurse. Make sure to ask any questions that you have.
Once you have met everyone, the anesthesiologist and OR nurse will push you on your bed to the operating room. When we get there, we will ask you to move onto another bed, the OR bed. We will use the blood pressure cuff, pulse ox and EKG leads (3 stickers that monitor your heart beat) to monitor your vitals. A soft mask will be placed over your nose and mouth to give you oxygen, and then the anesthesiologist will give you medicine through your IV to fall asleep.
The anesthesiologist will take great care of you while you are sleeping. The next thing you know, you will be waking up in the recovery room.
A recovery nurse will help you to wake up after your surgery. If you need anything, please let her know. It is normal to feel dizzy or sleepy when you first start to wake up.
Your parents will meet you in recovery, and you will get some juice, a Popsicle, crackers or a combination of all of them before you go home. When the nurse and doctor say you are ready and if you are not staying overnight, then you will be able to go home.
The nurse will take all of the monitors off and will take your IV out. A band-aid or piece of gauze and tape will be placed where the IV was removed. You can then get dressed in your clothes and will be taken out to the car in a wheelchair. Your parents will be given instructions on how to take care of you while you are getting better.
Some kids have to stay overnight after their surgery. If you stay overnight, you will have your very own room on our pediatric unit or Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). This is where all kids stay overnight at TMC. Your mom or your dad or both will be able to stay overnight with you in your room.
There is a television for you to watch TV or movies, or play video games. We have a playroom, an outside play area, a family area and a library to make sure you have fun while you are here.
Sometimes we have pet therapy animals that visit, or other special visitors. We also have volunteers who are here to bring you fun things to do if you are bored. Also, you can bring your favorite things from home to make you feel more comfortable, such as a stuffed animal or your favorite pillow. Your brothers and sisters can visit you in the hospital as well.
Ask questions and stay informed. Infants rely on cues from parents on how to react. If you appear calm and confident, your child will be more relaxed. Bring a comfort item from home (blanket, special toy, stuffed animal, etc.)
Toddlers do not understand the concept of time. It is best to talk with your child about surgery only one or two days beforehand. Toddlers are trying to develop a sense of control. Allow them to choose a favorite toy, stuffed animal or blanket to bring to the hospital. Realize that fussiness and behavior changes are common before and after procedures. Ask questions and stay informed. The more comfortable you are, the more comfortable your child will be. Attend a surgery tour, if possible.
Preschoolers are curious and want to know what to expect. Talk to your child about surgery 3-5 days in advance. Use simple words and avoid unnecessary details. Also, reinforce the idea that the child did nothing wrong to cause the surgery. Use a play doctor's kit, hospital book or KidSpeak app to help your child express his or her feelings about the surgery.
Ask questions and stay informed. The more comfortable you are, the more comfortable your child will be. Attend a surgery tour, if possible. Prepare school age children about a few weeks in advance. This will allow children the appropriate amount of time to process the information and ask questions. Provide honest, developmentally appropriate information about your child's surgery. For example, Why do they need to have surgery? When is the surgery going to happen? Use a play doctor's kit, hospital book or the KidSpeak app to help your child express his or her feelings about the surgery. Allow choices where choices exist. For example, What do you want to bring on the day of surgery? What color would you like your cast to be?
Keep your teen involved in all aspects of planning the surgery Respect your teen's need for privacy and be supportive of his or her thoughts and feelings. Encourage the teen to talk about any concerns, realizing that there may be some concerns your teen doesn't want to share with you. Attend a surgery tour, if possible, or download our KidSpeak Medical Prep for Kids app to see a virtual tour of the surgery areas. (Available at the App Store or Google Play.)
Follow the pre-operative instructions your physician gives you. If you don't, you may have to reschedule the surgery and put your child through "surgery day" all over again.
If your child's surgery is scheduled in the morning (unless you have received specific, written instructions from your physician), do not let your child eat or drink anything after midnight the day before. "No liquids" after midnight includes no water.
If your child is ill the day before surgery (i.e., if he or she has a fever), please call and notify your surgeon’s office.
If you are a foster parent or grandparent, bring the legal documents (proof of guardianship) with you that prove you can authorize your child's surgery.
Bring your child's favorite blanket, toy or stuffed animal. Pack an activity bag so your child will have a quiet activity to do while waiting before surgery. The bag might include books to read, crayons and coloring or puzzles.
Have your child dress in comfortable clothes.
Arrive one hour before the scheduled surgery time unless your surgeon’s office has instructed you to come earlier.
Bring another adult with you. Especially if you bring other children, as they will need to wait in the lobby. When it's time to go home, the other adult can drive and you can concentrate on taking care of your child.
