Kids and surgery: 4 ways to get ready

Having an operation can be scary, especially for young people.

Child life specialists play an important role in helping pediatric patients and their loved ones prepare to spend time in the hospital and advising them on how to support each other.

"We can guide your child and family through the process, help you understand the steps and provide guidance on the appropriate time to start preparing your child based on their age and developmental level," said Amy Carter, MS, CCLS, lead child life specialist at UChicago Medicine Comer Children's Hospital.

These specialists can provide personalized support, explain medical procedures in kid-friendly terms or even accompany your child into the operating room.

But the conversation should first start at home, said Carter, who shared easy ways for families to approach the big day.

1. Keep it simple

Younger children may benefit from preparation one day in advance and with fewer details than teenagers may need.

For example, “we talk about anesthesia as being a special sleep — different than sleeping at night — and that it's a special medicine to make sure your body doesn't feel anything," Carter said, adding that it’s helpful to explain the senses they'll experience and how they're going to wake up.

2. Provide choices

Give children a sense of control by letting them pack a special bag with treasured items like a stuffed animal. A patient might choose to watch videos via a tablet on the way to the operating room, hear music before undergoing anesthesia or share their surgery news with friends.

"They can have a choice in how they process and who they involve in the experience," Carter said.

3. Encourage questions

Allow your child time to think and ask questions, and give them simple, honest answers. To support younger patients, Carter uses hands-on teaching resources such as dolls and books.

Older children “may want to write questions down, ask their providers or even think about questions their parents can ask if they're not comfortable themselves," she said. "That still involves them in the process."

4. Stick to a schedule

Routines provide structure amid change and the unknown. Before — or after — a surgery, it's not unusual for pediatric patients to miss school or to have days when medical needs rule out the possibility of doing homework.

Maintaining your family's familiar, day-to-day activities, when feasible, can provide comfort and reassurance when more routine activities may be postponed.