WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE AND AFTER YOUR CHILD'S SURGERY

TIPS FROM LEADING PEDIATRIC SURGEON KATHRYN BASS

Your child needs surgery. This sudden reality can cause any parent to feel unsettled, concerned, and just as scared as their child. Those fears compound when your son or daughter has physical, developmental, behavioral, emotional, or sensory-impaired disorders.

Because structure is crucial to children, especially children with special needs, surgery can make them and their parents feel out of control. And for some kids, their special needs can make it difficult to even understand what is happening.

Every patient and operation is unique, but there are practical tips that can help parents feel more comfortable and better equipped, as they support their child from pre-surgery preparation through post-surgery recovery.

It is important that the doctor takes every child and their parent through the preparation leading up to surgery, rooted in honesty, comfort, and meeting the parents and child where they are, and customizing the approach based on the child's needs.

BEFORE SURGERY

Pre-Op Visit: The surgery begins in the pre-op visit, where the doctor should speak with parents to understand their expectations. According to Dr. Bass, "parents with special needs kids are some of the savviest people" she has ever met. "They are superhuman, consuming as much healthcare knowledge as they can, taking full advantage of all resources available, to become their child's greatest advocate helping to make their child's way in the world," she continued. The advice Dr. Bass offers complements the vast knowledge many parents of special needs children already have.

Not All Hospitals Are Equal: Parents should remember that not all hospitals operate similarly. While many of the tools outlined in this article are widely available at children's hospitals, this may not be the case at community hospitals that do not discriminate by age, nor at systems without pediatric-specialized services. There are children-focused hospitals within hospital systems and free-standing hospitals that solely serve children. Most children's hospitals are incredibly competent in catering to children with special needs.

Focusing On the One Child: It is best that parents of multiple children do not bring their other kids to the appointments leading up to the surgery or surgery day itself, if possible. The child being operated on needs to be the focus, and, as parents know, it is hard to focus on one kid when the others are there.

Making a Medication Plan: When preparing for surgery for your special needs child, one of the biggest things to remember is to discuss their medication schedule with their medical team. Special needs children often take medication on a strict schedule and often the medication must be taken with food or water. In surgery, strict rules exist around when a child can eat or drink before the operation. Medication and feeding schedules need to be discussed and managed, so that the child gets the medications needed, at the correct time. In those cases, pediatric surgeons create a specific schedule for what will occur on the day

STEPS TO PREP: The mental realities of preparing for surgery can be just as challenging as the physical, sometimes even more so.