Pediatric General Surgery

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.