The Day of Surgery Intraoperative Care Postoperative Care Glossary Online Resources Surgery, as defined by the American Medical Association, is the treatment of disease, injury, or other disorders by direct physical intervention, usually with instruments. Some operations are elective procedures, others are required procedures and, in some cases, surgery is an emergency response to an urgent medical condition. The entire family should expect to go through several phases when your child is having surgery, including the following.
Surgical diagnosis is made after medical tests and evaluations reveal a condition requiring surgery.
The preoperative phase begins from the time surgery is decided on to the point when your child is brought to the operating room. The postoperative phase lasts from the time your child enters the recovery room until follow-up clinical evaluation.