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.