There are multiple things that you should expect and prepare for before your surgery. It is important to note that, each hospital is different so your experience might be slightly different than some of the information below.
What to do the day before your surgery:
1- First, make sure you follow ALL instructions given to you by your doctors. For example, if your doctor says: "Do not drink after midnight," and it is 12:15am and you're thirsty, do not drink. This could jeopardize the time your surgery begins and the actual surgery itself.
2- Try to just relax; there is no need to do anything big. Just watch a movie or anything relaxing and get a good night's rest. It will make you feel a lot better the next day.
Questions? If you have any questions regarding the instructions, just call your doctor to be sure -- better safe than sorry.
The day of your surgery:
1. Waking up: Make sure you are up in time and get over to the hospital early, just in case. Bring some stuff to do because you might have to wait awhile.
2. What to wear: You can wear whatever you want and whatever makes you most comfortable. This can be anything from sweatpants, to jeans, to shorts. However, if your doctors have instructed you to wear something specific due to your procedure, please ensure you follow those guidelines. I typically like to wear comfortable pants and either a t shirt or sweater, depending on the weather.
3. What to bring: You can bring anything you want and whatever makes you the most comfortable. For example, when I was little I would go into surgery with my stuffed animal, Spot. The doctors would give Spot a hat and name tag. He would be there when I would fall asleep and when I would wake up. Don't worry, they take great care of anything you bring with you while you are asleep. Now, I really enjoy bringing a book to the hospital with me as it is a great way to pass the time while waiting. I also bring my phone with me for any games, however, those items cannot come back with you to the actual procedure room. As always, each hospital is different so please make sure you are following any of their instructions.
3. Nervous? When you get to the waiting room, it is normal to be nervous--you are about to have some sort of procedure which is a big deal. Just ask any questions you have or tell the nurses if there is anything you need, they are always here to help and make you feel better.
What will happen before you go in:
Typically, someone will first take you back to the pre-op area to get you ready. You will get into a gown and be brought to a room. Just a heads up, you can go back in underwear, but when you wake up you might not have it on anymore (depending on the procedure of course). Multiple people will be coming in to talk to you, so ask them whatever you want. They will answer any question you have and will do anything to make you comfortable and happy. If you do not get your answer to your question, you have permission to keep asking until you get the answer you want and need. I recommend getting a lot of blankets and getting nice and comfy. Then, someone will come and take you into the operating room.
Going into the operating room:
Going into the operating room (when you are a kid) you can bring some items, like a stuffed animal, or even a parent. When I was little, my mom would always come with me because my dad is very tall and couldn't fit into the gown they had for him to wear. I would get on to the operating table and they would make sure I was comfy. Once you are in the operating room, the doctor and nurses will start to get you ready. They will put little sticky things on you to monitor your vital signs while you are asleep. They will also put something on your finger to monitor you more. Depending on your operation, they might give you a mask to give you oxygen to make sure you are okay. After you are all ready, they will start to give you anesthesia or other medicine to make you go to sleep.
Anesthesia:
There are two main ways the doctors will put you to sleep for surgery.
Way One: The first way is through an IV. What will happen here is, at some point, they will put an IV in you and, when you are settled, they will start to put the liquid through it. They will always tell you before they put the liquid into the IV. Then you will fall asleep. This is typically used for non-general anesthesia procedures.
Way Two: The other way is with a mask. What happens here is they put a big mask that covers your nose and mouth on your face. As a kid, you can get a choice of a flavor for the gas. I always went with cherry. Then, they will start the gas. They will ask you to take deep breaths and then try to blow the gas back; this is just to help you fall asleep and it works. This is typically used for general anesthesia. However, as noted above, you could have just an oxygen mask too if you are not getting your medicine through the mask.
For information about when you wake up, please see the "what to expect after your surgery" section.
What to do the day before your surgery:
1- First, make sure you follow ALL instructions given to you by your doctors. For example, if your doctor says: "Do not drink after midnight," and it is 12:15am and you're thirsty, do not drink. This could jeopardize the time your surgery begins and the actual surgery itself.
2- Try to just relax; there is no need to do anything big. Just watch a movie or anything relaxing and get a good night's rest. It will make you feel a lot better the next day.
Questions? If you have any questions regarding the instructions, just call your doctor to be sure -- better safe than sorry.
The day of your surgery:
1. Waking up: Make sure you are up in time and get over to the hospital early, just in case. Bring some stuff to do because you might have to wait awhile.
2. What to wear: You can wear whatever you want and whatever makes you most comfortable. This can be anything from sweatpants, to jeans, to shorts. However, if your doctors have instructed you to wear something specific due to your procedure, please ensure you follow those guidelines. I typically like to wear comfortable pants and either a t shirt or sweater, depending on the weather.
3. What to bring: You can bring anything you want and whatever makes you the most comfortable. For example, when I was little I would go into surgery with my stuffed animal, Spot. The doctors would give Spot a hat and name tag. He would be there when I would fall asleep and when I would wake up. Don't worry, they take great care of anything you bring with you while you are asleep. Now, I really enjoy bringing a book to the hospital with me as it is a great way to pass the time while waiting. I also bring my phone with me for any games, however, those items cannot come back with you to the actual procedure room. As always, each hospital is different so please make sure you are following any of their instructions.
3. Nervous? When you get to the waiting room, it is normal to be nervous--you are about to have some sort of procedure which is a big deal. Just ask any questions you have or tell the nurses if there is anything you need, they are always here to help and make you feel better.
What will happen before you go in:
Typically, someone will first take you back to the pre-op area to get you ready. You will get into a gown and be brought to a room. Just a heads up, you can go back in underwear, but when you wake up you might not have it on anymore (depending on the procedure of course). Multiple people will be coming in to talk to you, so ask them whatever you want. They will answer any question you have and will do anything to make you comfortable and happy. If you do not get your answer to your question, you have permission to keep asking until you get the answer you want and need. I recommend getting a lot of blankets and getting nice and comfy. Then, someone will come and take you into the operating room.
Going into the operating room:
Going into the operating room (when you are a kid) you can bring some items, like a stuffed animal, or even a parent. When I was little, my mom would always come with me because my dad is very tall and couldn't fit into the gown they had for him to wear. I would get on to the operating table and they would make sure I was comfy. Once you are in the operating room, the doctor and nurses will start to get you ready. They will put little sticky things on you to monitor your vital signs while you are asleep. They will also put something on your finger to monitor you more. Depending on your operation, they might give you a mask to give you oxygen to make sure you are okay. After you are all ready, they will start to give you anesthesia or other medicine to make you go to sleep.
Anesthesia:
There are two main ways the doctors will put you to sleep for surgery.
Way One: The first way is through an IV. What will happen here is, at some point, they will put an IV in you and, when you are settled, they will start to put the liquid through it. They will always tell you before they put the liquid into the IV. Then you will fall asleep. This is typically used for non-general anesthesia procedures.
Way Two: The other way is with a mask. What happens here is they put a big mask that covers your nose and mouth on your face. As a kid, you can get a choice of a flavor for the gas. I always went with cherry. Then, they will start the gas. They will ask you to take deep breaths and then try to blow the gas back; this is just to help you fall asleep and it works. This is typically used for general anesthesia. However, as noted above, you could have just an oxygen mask too if you are not getting your medicine through the mask.
For information about when you wake up, please see the "what to expect after your surgery" section.