tips for protecting your good health

Tips To Help You Prepare Your Child For Surgery

18 May 2021 by Sasha Meyer

Undergoing surgery can be scary even for adults. So, you can imagine how fearful a child may be when they know they have surgery coming up. If your child's doctor has determined they need surgery, then undergoing surgery is the best thing to do. You can't take away their need for surgery, but you can take the following steps to make them a bit more comfortable with what's about to occur.

Visit with the surgeon ahead of time.

Call the surgical center where your child is scheduled to have their procedure. Ask if you can set up a brief meeting with the surgeon who will be working on your child. Many pediatric surgical centers are used to these requests. They might even automatically schedule this type of meet-and-greet with all of their patients. Typically, the surgeon will talk to your child a little bit, reassure your child that they are in good hands, and answer any questions they have. Having met the person who is going to do their surgery can make your child a lot more comfortable with what's about to happen. Likewise, having previously visited the surgical center will also make your child feel more comfortable on the actual day of their operation. 

Emphasize that your child will be asleep.

Your child may have some idea of what surgery is from watching television and reading books. However, their ideas about surgery may not be quite accurate. Many children understand that surgery involves incisions, and that can be terrifying. So, whenever you discuss your child's upcoming surgery, make sure you emphasize that they will be asleep, and they won't feel anything while the surgery takes place. Remind them that when they are asleep at night, they don't know what's happening around them. Explain that surgery will be the same.

Read some books about surgery together.

There are plenty of kids' books about surgery that address it in a very calming, reassuring way. Your child's surgeon or the receptionist at the surgical center may even have some copies that they can send home with you. Reading these with your child can help normalize the idea of surgery and give your child a new perspective.

Undergoing surgery is, understandably, an uncomfortable experience. However, if you take the steps above, you can ease a lot of your child's fear and apprehension about the process. For more information about children's surgery, contact a pediatric surgeon.  

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