This involves completing the necessary paperwork, a physical examination by a nurse practitioner, and labwork. A tour of the operating room and hospital by a Child Life Specialist can also be arranged. On the morning of surgery you will report back to the Day Surgery Area. There is a Family Waiting Room nearby where you can wait during the operation and receive progress reports from the OR nurses. After surgery your child will spend the night in the Intensive Care Unit in order to be closely watched.
Parents are able to visit as much as possible.
While in the ICU, your child will have several IV lines and monitors, as well as a dressing covering the head. There will be some swelling of the forehead and eyes after the operation. This usually increases after the drain is removed, and the eyes will swell shut for a few days. The day after surgery your child will be able to start having liquids and will gradually progress back to a regular diet. You are probably worried about the amount of pain your child may experience during this time.