Your child’s surgery team will provide detailed instructions about preoperative appointments and tests your child may need. You will also receive guidelines for your child to follow about eating, drinking and taking medications before their procedure. Follow these instructions closely so your child is physically prepared for surgery.

Let your child’s care team know about:

• All current medications and supplements your child takes
• Any recent changes to your child’s medications
• Symptoms that suggest your child may not be well enough for surgery, such as a fever, breathing difficulties, rashes, and cold or flu-like symptoms

Because your child will be in the hospital for a few days and possibly longer, be sure to bring:

• Assistive equipment, such as braces, crutches, a wheelchair or a walker
• Enough formula (whether infant or G-tube formula) for the entire stay, especially if your child needs a specific brand
• Medical equipment your child needs, such as a communication device, a G-tube and tracheostomy tube supplies
• Your child’s medications and supplements in their original containers

Finally, your child may have one adult, age 18+, stay in the hospital room overnight. You may want to pack the following items to help make their (and your) stay more comfortable:

• Athletic or closed-toe shoes
• Clothing items that can easily be worn during recovery (sweatpants, cardigan, zip-up jacket, clothing with button fronts)
• Personal care and hygiene items for yourself and your child
• School assignments to work on or books to read
• Your child’s favorite pillow, blanket, toy or comfort items (labeled with your child’s name)

Surgery can be stressful for children. Scottish Rite’s child life specialists are here to help explain the process to children in age-appropriate ways and help ease any anxieties they may be feeling. You can also schedule a pre-admission tour with our child life specialists to help your child feel more at ease.

You can find age-appropriate ways to ease your child’s stress with our free download, Preparing for Surgery.

You and your child may understandably feel nervous the day you arrive. Our volunteers, child life specialists and your child’s care team will do their best to help you feel at ease and explain everything that will happen during your stay.

Your child’s experience will be unique to his or her procedure, but in general:

• Your child will check in and receive an identification bracelet to be worn at all times.
• Your child’s nurse will check vital signs and remove (or ask you to remove) any jewelry, watches or contact lenses your child is wearing.
• The nurse will ask your child to use the restroom or have them wear a diaper.
• A nurse will bring you to a pre-op room where you will meet the rest of the care team.
• Your child will change into hospital pajamas.
• Your child’s surgeon will write on your child’s skin with a special marker to mark the surgical site.
• Your child may receive medications to help with relaxation and/or prevent an upset stomach.

• Your child will be taken to surgery on a special bed. 

During your child’s procedure, you are welcome to wait in the surgery waiting area, one of our dining areas, or the Sam and Millie Hilburn Family Room and Chapel. Our volunteers can help direct you wherever you would like to go.

While your child is in surgery:

• You will receive a reference number that allows you to follow your child’s progress. A screen in the surgery waiting area will display the number and stage of their surgery.
• Your child’s surgery team will update you with a phone call if surgery takes more than an hour and a half. If you miss the call, our staff will call you back.

As soon as your child’s surgery is complete, they will be taken to a recovery room. You’ll receive a phone call and may join your child shortly.

Your child may come back from surgery with an IV that stays in until they can eat and drink independently and no longer need the IV to receive medications.

Your child’s nurse will visit frequently to check vital signs and breathing, monitor the surgical site for signs of problems, and change your child’s position to prevent pressure-related skin problems.

The nurse can also help:

• Address pain
• Manage possible side effects of surgery, such as fever, nausea and vomiting
• Take your child to the bathroom

For a comprehensive guide to preparing for surgery, download Surgical Admission: What to Expect.

Your child’s Scottish Rite team wants the inpatient surgery process to go as smoothly as possible, and they are ready to answer questions or explain instructions at any point.