Getting Your Child Ready for Surgery
Preparing your child for surgery can feel overwhelming, but you’re not alone. Our team is here to guide you through each step, offering expert advice and compassionate support to help ease your child’s worries—and yours. Most importantly, your child’s safety is our highest priority, and every procedure is performed by specialists trained in pediatric care.
Our Surgery Department is dedicated to making your child's surgical experience as calm and positive as possible, from explaining what to expect to sharing practical tips for comfort and reassurance, we’ll work together from before your child arrives at the hospital to when they are discharged home.
Before your child's surgery
- A registered nurse from the Pre-Surgical office will call you a few days ahead of your child's scheduled surgery to review your child's health history, to give instructions and to answer any questions regarding the scheduled surgery. Please let the nurse know if your child has any special needs or is taking any medications. This will allow us to provide you with instructions and to plan care.
- Please notify your child’s provider clinic immediately if they have had a cough, cold, fever, runny nose, vomiting or diarrhea within the last four weeks.
- The Valley Children’s team will call you between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. the day before surgery to give you an arrival time and specific instructions. If your surgery is on a Monday, the staff will call you on the Friday before.
- Older or adult patients will not be able to drive after the procedure or take public transportation alone. Please arrange for a responsible adult driver to accompany you for your entire stay.
- If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the Pre-Surgical office one to two days before your scheduled procedure.
If your child's surgeon orders lab tests or X-rays prior to surgery, please complete them to avoid any delays or cancellations.
Preventing Infection
A risk of surgery is infection. You can prevent infection and reduce this risk by having your child bathe before arriving at the hospital for surgery. Please follow the guidelines in the carousel below for pre-op bathing.
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Bathing
Bathe your child from head to toe the night before or the day of surgery. Please make sure to wash hair and under nails.
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Shaving
Do not shave face or body up to 3 days prior to surgery.
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Nail polish
Remove all nail polish (regular, gel or acrylic). Make sure to remove all makeup and false eyelashes.
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Lotion
Do not apply gel, lotion, powder, glitter, perfume, deodorant or any other products to their body or hair.
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Jewelry
Remove all jewelry at home.
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Clothing
Dress your child in clean, comfortable clothes.
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Surgical wipes
When you arrive at the hospital, we will give you special wipes to use before surgery.
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About anesthesia
Anesthesia is the use of medicine to prevent or reduce pain and awareness during surgery. It is very important NOT to eat or drink for specific periods of time prior to surgery to reduce the risk of complications with the anesthesia. Please follow your surgery team's instructions below to keep your child safe during surgery and avoid any delays or rescheduling.
Ready for surgery?
You've done your pre-surgical prep and are ready for your child's surgery day! Learn more about how to prepare for the big day by clicking the link below.
Learn more about coming to the hospital for surgery