On the day of surgery, arrive at least two hours
prior to surgery time or as instructed by the nurse. Your child may bring a
favorite stuffed animal or blanket.
Report to the Information Desk in the hospital lobby
and you will be given directions to the POPS unit.
The patient may be accompanied by 2 adults (no
children); one must be a parent. (If you are a foster parent or a grandparent
and the child is involved in the court system, the nurse will advise you during
the pre-surgery phone interview what papers to bring on the day of surgery.)
We do not allow food on the unit as the smell can
upset the stomachs of some post-op patients. We have coffee and tea available on
the unit for parents and juices and Popsicles for the children.
When you arrive in the POPS unit, we will:
- make a copy of your parents picture ID card
- make a copy of your insurance card
- weigh your child
- provide pajamas for your child. Lockers are available for
clothing.
After the pajamas are on, we will take the child's
temperature, blood pressure, pulse and respirations and listen to their lungs.
We will review the information you provided during the telephone interview; if
we haven't talked to you we will get the health history.
If your child is more than 10 years old, more than
100 pounds, or if they need IV medication before surgery, an IV will be started.
About an hour before surgery, we will give your child some medicine by mouth,
and if they have an IV, some medicine in the IV.
About a half hour before the scheduled surgery time,
a transport person will take your child to the holding area (where surgery
personnel take care of final details before the surgery). Two adults may
accompany the child to the holding area. While you are there, someone from the
anesthesia department will talk to you about the plan of care for anesthesia for
your child.
After surgery, the doctor will come to the waiting
room to talk to you about how the surgery went. Once your child has started to
wake up in the recovery room, you may be allowed in the recovery room (if your
child is under 12 years of age or there are special circumstances). When your
child is awake enough by recovery room standards, they will be transported back
to the POPS unit (or to Pediatrics, if being admitted) to finish the recovery
process.
If not being admitted, your child will be discharged
home once the proper amount of time has passed for recovery (determined by the
surgery performed) and your child is taking fluids by mouth and under reasonable
pain control. Children are allowed to leave the unit only in a parent's arms or
by wheelchair.
You will be given a discharge instruction sheet with
specific instructions regarding follow-up care. With your discharge instructions will receive a parking pass for Ramp A. If any questions arise after you
are home, you will have your doctor's phone number and the POPS unit phone
number to call for answers.