Tips For Children Undergoing Surgery
Pediatric surgery is an often a very scary situation for many families. Most of the fear comes from the unknown and the added stress of the patient being a child. As grown-ups, we have a protective instinct and surgical procedures are completely out of our control and left up to the skilled pediatric surgeons. Even though the child is the one going through the surgical process, parents can be just as anxious. To help quell some fears here are some tips to help families prepare for pediatric surgery.
Take Care of Yourself
When a child undergoes surgery, it is a stressful and scary time. Children take most of their emotional cues from adults. They easily pick up on your stress, anxiety, and fear, and match these emotions. It is important to remember that you are leading by example and behave as such. Ask your child’s surgical team all of your questions about the upcoming surgery. The more information you have, the easier it is to set aside the fears you may have and reduce your stress. Caring for your own emotional well-being will allow you to be more present before, during, and after surgery so that you can better care for your child.
Talk It Out
Take the time to explain the details of the procedure to your child in terms that they can understand. Ask them about how they feel about it all and clear up any misconceptions they may have. Some children believe surgery is a punishment or have a fear of the hospital due to previous experiences, so it is important to address these things. When you’re honest with your child, they will trust you and their pediatric surgical team more.
Consider Your Words
When you are explaining surgery and anesthesia to your child, it is important for you to choose your words very carefully. Children often interpret words literally. For instance, when you explain anesthesia, avoid using the phrase ‘put you to sleep,’ because it may be correlated to a family pet that was ‘put to sleep’ and never came home. Steer clear of words like ‘cut,’ or “stitch,” and replace them with something softer like ‘make an opening’ and ‘close.’