• McIndoe Surgical Centre
• Paediatric Surgery
• How is surgery identified and what happens next?

You would have been to see your GP regarding your child’s the medical problem / condition and your GP would have identified that your child needs to be seen by a specialist/consultant. An appointment to see the consultant will be made and you and your child will visit the consultant’s out-patient clinic. Here your consultant will discuss the treatment needed with you and your child and examine your child.

After your child has been seen by a consultant and they have identified the need for surgery you will be contacted by the consultant’s secretary to arrange a convenient date for your child’s operation.

The hospital will then send you a booking letter which will provide details of when you and your child need to attend hospital and include any relevant starving instructions for your child. The general rule is 2 hours for fluids and 6 hours for food prior to surgery. Try not to go too long without a drink e.g. if your child is due to come in at 07.30am it is helpful to have a drink of water at 6.00 am. We suggest that other family members don’t eat in front of your child.

However, we feel it is far less stressful if you and your child can attend the hospital and meet our paediatric team before the day of surgery. We always like to invite you to attend a pre-admission visit. This is normally held on Wednesday between 5pm and 7pm or Sunday 12 – 2pm.

At the visit you will meet some of the paediatric nurses, see a room similar to the one your child will be staying in and if convenient you will be able to visit the operating theatre. Our aim is for you and your child to go home with a better understanding of what to expect during your hospital stay. During your visit we will complete our medical questionnaire to help us prepare for your child’s stay. We will also record weight, temperature and pulse.