What is Outpatient Surgery in Children

An outpatient surgery is a procedure that does not require an overnight stay at a hospital or clinic. A person having an outpatient surgery can go home hours after the surgery is complete.

Tell a health care provider about:

• Any allergies your child has.
• All medicines your child is taking, including vitamins, herbs, eye drops, creams, and over-the-counter medicines.
• Any problems your child or family members have had with anesthetic medicines.
• Any blood disorders your child has.
• Any surgeries your child has had.
• Any medical conditions your child has.

What are the risks?

The risk and complications of surgery depend on the specific procedure. Common risks and complications include:

• Infection.
• Bleeding.
• Allergic reactions to medicines.
• Temporary increase in pain.
• Failure to fix the problem that the surgery was meant to fix.

What happens before the procedure?

Staying hydrated

Follow instructions from your child’s health care provider about hydration, which may include:

• Up to 2 hours before the procedure – your child may continue to drink clear liquids, such as water or clear fruit juice.

Eating and drinking restrictions

Follow instructions from your child’s health care provider about eating and drinking, which may include:

• 8 hours before the procedure – have your child stop eating foods.
• 6 hours before the procedure – have your child stop drinking formula or milk.
• 4 hours before the procedure – stop giving your child breast milk.
• 2 hours before the procedure – have your child stop drinking clear liquids.

Medicines

Ask your child’s health care provider about:

• Changing or stopping your child’s regular medicines. This is especially important if your child is taking diabetes medicines or blood thinners.
• Taking medicines such as ibuprofen. These medicines can thin your child’s blood. Do not give these medicines before the procedure if your child’s health care provider instructs you not to.

General Instructions

• Call your child’s health care provider if your child develops an illness or a problem that may prevent him or her from safely having the procedure.
• If the health care provider tells you that your child will be sedated for the surgery and you will be driving your child home within 24 hours of the procedure, plan to have another adult sit with your child in the back seat if your child uses a car seat.
• Ask your child’s health care provider how your child’s surgical site will be marked or identified.

What happens during the procedure?

• Your child will be settled on an operating table.
• To reduce the risk of infection:
  • Your child’s health care team will wash or sanitize their hands.
  • Your child’s skin will be washed with soap.
  • Hair may be removed from the surgical area.
• Your child will be connected to heart, blood pressure, and oxygen monitors.
• Your child may be given one or more of the following:
  • A medicine to help your child relax (sedative).
  • A medicine to numb the area (local anesthetic).
  • A medicine to make your child fall asleep (general anesthetic).
  • A medicine that is injected into your child’s spine to numb the area below and slightly above the injection site (spinal anesthetic).
  • A medicine that is injected into an area of the body to numb everything below the injection site (regional anesthetic).

The specifics of the procedure will depend on the type of procedure your child will be having. The procedure may also vary among health care providers and hospitals.

What happens after the procedure?

• Your child’s blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate, and blood oxygen level will be monitored until the medicines she or he was given have worn off.
• If there are no complications, your child will be allowed to go home when he or she is awake, stable, and taking fluids well.
• Your child’s surgical site will be tender.
• Your child may feel nauseous and have some swelling and bruising around the surgical site.
• Observe your child closely for the first 24 hours after the procedure.
• If your child uses a car seat and you will be driving your child home within 24 hours after he or she was sedated, have another adult sit with your child in the back seat to:
  • Watch your child for breathing problems and nausea.
  • Make sure your child’s head stays up if he or she falls asleep.

Summary

• An outpatient surgery is a procedure that does not require an overnight stay at a hospital or clinic.
• Follow instructions from your child’s health care provider about eating and drinking restrictions before surgery.
• Observe your child closely for the first 24 hours after the procedure.

Outpatient Surgery, Pediatric, Care After

These instructions provide you with information about caring for your child after his or her procedure. Your child’s health care provider may also give you more specific instructions. Your child’s treatment has been planned according to current medical practices, but problems sometimes occur. Call your child’s health care provider if there are any problems or you have questions after your child’s procedure.

What can I expect after the procedure?

After the procedure, it is common for children to have:

• Tenderness at the surgical site.
• Some swelling, bruising, and numbness around the surgical site.
• Nausea.

Follow these instructions at home:

For at least 24 hours after the procedure:

• Observe your child closely until he or she is awake and alert. This is important.
• If your child uses a car seat, have another adult sit with your child in the back seat to:
  • Watch your child for breathing problems and nausea.
  • Make sure your child’s head stays up if he or she falls asleep.
• Have your child rest.
• Supervise any play or activity.
• Help your child with standing, walking, and going to the bathroom.

Incision care

• Follow instructions from your child’s health care provider about how to take care of an incision, if your child has one. Make sure you:
  • Wash your hands with soap and water before you change your child’s bandage (dressing). If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer.
  • Change your child’s dressing as told by the health care provider.
  • Leave stitches (sutures), skin glue, or adhesive strips in place. These skin closures may need to stay in place for 2 weeks or longer. If adhesive strip edges start to loosen and curl up, you may trim the loose edges. Do not remove adhesive strips completely unless your child’s health care provider tells you to do that.
• Check your child’s incision area every day for signs of infection. Check for:
  • More redness, swelling, or pain.
  • More fluid or blood.
  • Warmth.
  • Pus or a bad smell.

Eating and drinking

• Resume your child’s diet and feedings as instructed by your child’s health care provider and as tolerated by your child.
  • Usually, it is good to start with clear liquids.
  • Smaller, more frequent meals may be tolerated better.
• Give your child enough fluid to keep his or her urine pale yellow.

General instructions

• Allow your child to return to his or her normal activities as told by the health care provider. Ask your child’s health care provider what activities are safe for your child.
• Give over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your child’s health care provider.
• Keep all follow-up visits as told by your child’s health care provider. This is important.

Contact a health care provider if:

• There is more redness, swelling, or pain around the incision.
• There is more fluid or blood coming from the incision.
• The incision feels warm to the touch.
• There is pus or a bad smell coming from the incision.
• Your child has a fever.
• Your child keeps feeling dizzy.
• Your child keeps feeling nauseous.
• Your child vomits.
• Your child has very bad pain, even after taking the medicines that your child’s health care provider prescribed or recommended.
• Your child develops a cough.
• Your child is constipated.
• Your child develops a rash.

Get help right away if:

• Your child does not pass urine as soon as your child’s health care provider told you to expect.
• Your child has trouble breathing.
• Your child has trouble staying awake.
• You cannot wake your child.
• Your child who is younger than 3 months has a temperature of 100°F (38°C) or higher.

Summary

• For at least 24 hours after the procedure, observe your child closely until he or she is awake and alert.
• Nausea is common after a procedure. Resume your child’s diet and feedings as instructed by your health care provider and as tolerated by your child.
• Ask your child’s health care provider what activities are safe for your child.