Preparing For Your Child’s Surgery and Major Procedures
At Mount Sinai, we know how stressful a child’s procedure and hospital experience can be for the entire family. We have developed this Preparing for Your Child’s Procedure guide below to help ease your child’s fears and your own concerns. To help answer your questions, the guide below includes information about how to prepare for the procedure including what to bring to the hospital, eating and drinking guidelines, and what to expect before, during, and after the procedure.
Our team of experts are here for you, and they will do everything they can to make the experience as comfortable and safe as possible. We assure you that your child is in great hands and our team will be by your side the whole way.
Please note that the information below is a general guide and may not be appropriate depending on your child’s procedure. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s care team directly to ensure you are prepared for the day of your appointment.
Pre-Procedure Preparation
Our medical team will call you the day before you are scheduled to inform you of what time to arrive (or on Friday for procedures scheduled on Monday). You must be at the hospital two hours prior to the time the procedure is scheduled to begin.
Pre-Surgery Guidelines
Your child’s care team will provide specific instructions for your child’s surgery including the guidelines for eating and drinking. It is very important that your child follow these guidelines. If these instructions are not followed closely, your child's procedure might be delayed or cancelled. Your surgeon and care team will review your specific instructions during your initial visit.
Prior to surgery, your child will need to have an empty stomach to reduce the risk of anesthetic complications. Here are our specific instructions to follow unless otherwise specified by the surgical team.
Under 3 years:
- STOP solid food (including purees), milk products, formula, and fortified breast milk 6 hours before surgery scheduled start time.
- STOP breast milk 4 hours before surgery scheduled start time.
- STOP clear liquids (water, Pedialyte, Gatorade, apple juice, Jell-o) 2 hours before surgery scheduled start time.
3 years and older:
- STOP food and milk products 8 hours before surgery scheduled start time.
- STOP clear liquids (water, Pedialyte, Gatorade, apple juice, Jell-o) 2 hours before surgery scheduled start time.
How to Talk to Your Child about Surgery
Before talking to your child about the upcoming surgery and potential hospital stay, it’s important to familiarize yourself with his or her condition and discuss the details with your child’s physician. The better informed you are the more you can support your child during this stressful time. Below are suggestions we offer on how to communicate to your child based on their age level.
Toddler (1–2 years old)
Talk with your child on the evening before or day of surgery.
- Provide simple, honest answers to your child's questions.
- Avoid making promises you don't have control over.
- Focus on surgery making something better.
- Remain calm and confident as children pick up on parent's feelings.
Preschool (3–5 years old)
- Talk with your child about surgery 2-3 days before coming to the hospital, so he will have time to process information and ask questions.
- Encourage your child to play with a toy medical kit and read books about coming to the hospital.
- Use non-threatening words. For example; "make a small opening," instead of "cut open" or "give you special sleepy medicine" instead of "knock you out."
- Repeat discussions about surgery to make sure your child understands.
- Focus on what your child will actually see, hear and feel while he is awake before and after surgery.
School-age (6–11 years old)
- Begin talking to your child when the surgery is scheduled. Kids often pick up on more than we think and may misunderstand what they hear.
- Make sure your child knows that he will be in a special sleep during the surgery and will not feel anything.
- Let him or her know what part of her body the doctor is going to fix and why. For example; "the doctor is going to do surgery to fix the bump on your belly so it won’t stick out anymore."
Teenagers (12 years old and up)
- Offer opportunities for your teen to be involved in surgery questions and decisions.
- Allow for independence/
- Validate concerns including: anesthesia, privacy and missing friends or school.
- Answer questions honestly.
Other Considerations for all ages
- Bring a favorite toy, activity, stuffed animal or blanket. It can go with your child to the operating room and can assist during wait times.
- Children feel secure when you feel secure. Make sure you have all you need to be comfortable.
- Continue to answer your child's questions honestly to maintain trust.
- Provide realistic choices to your child when possible to help offer a sense of control.
- Read books about going to the hospital with your child.
What to Bring to Your Child’s Procedure
Parents and/or guardians should bring the following information below to the Hospital on the day of your child’s admission, on the day of your child’s surgery, and for pre-admission testing.
- Any forms we asked you to have filled out by the pediatrician when we saw you in our clinic.
- Medical insurance cards
- Government-issued photo identification card for parents/guardians such as a driver’s license, passport, or other official ID
- List of prescription and over-the-counter medications and vitamins that your child is currently taking including the dosage, how often they take it and any special notes
- List of any allergies to medications or food
- Physician names, addresses, phone and fax numbers, and email addresses
- Emergency contact information
To help make your child feel more comfortable and relaxed in the Hospital, we encourage you to bring some of their personal and favorite items from home to be used during their. Examples include:
- Favorite toy
- Favorite pillow or blanket
- Favorite book
- Favorite music or video game
- Photos of family, friends and pets
Mount Sinai provides hospital gowns, diapers, and basic toiletries. We ask that you bring the following items to help make your child feel comfortable during their hospital stay.
- Comfortable and favorite clothing, pajamas
- Robe
- Socks and slippers
- Bathroom Items: Child’s toothbrush, toothpaste, comb/brush, shampoo, soap and any other items
- Contact lenses, glasses, hearing aids, braces, crutches, or other as needed by your child
- Phone charger, tablet charger
- Please label everything and all travel bags with your child’s full name
Do not bring the following: hair appliances, jewelry, expensive and/or valuable items
The Day of Your Child’s Procedure
On the day of your child's procedure, we want you to have the best possible experience. To help you on your way, please follow these instructions carefully.
Checking In
The days leading up to your child’s procedure, their care team will let you know what time you need to arrive. Please plan to arrive at least a half-hour before your scheduled check-in time. This will allow enough time for possible travel delays and parking.
Be sure to bring the following for check-in:
- Photo ID
- Your child’s insurance information
- Contact phone numbers
Depending on the location of the procedure, you will be directed to the appropriate registration area:
- Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital at 1184 Fifth Avenue: Check in at the Registration and Assessment Area on the 7th floor for registration.
- Mount Sinai-Union Square at 10 Union Square East: Check in at Ambulatory Surgery Registration on the 4th Floor, Suite 4M.
- New York Eye and Ear Infirmary (NYEE) at Mount Sinai at 310 East 14th Street: Check-in at the Admitting Office Reception Desk on the 1st floor off the main entrance.
Once you are checked in, the team will accompany you and your child to the pre-operative holding area. You will meet with your child’s care team here and can ask any questions or express any concerns at this time. Then we will bring your child in for the procedure.
*Please Note: State issued Government-issued ID (driver’s license, passport, or New York State ID) are required to enter all our facilities.
Visitor Policy
Mount Sinai welcomes visitors of our pediatric patients to our locations, including the emergency departments. We promote a family-centered care and recognize the important role of visits in the care and well-being of our patients.
Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital:
- Pediatric Inpatient:
- Two visitors 12 years or older are allowed at the bedside during hospital visiting hours. Visitors 12-17 years old must be accompanied by an adult.
- One adult visitor (>18 years and/or legal guardian) may be at the patient’s bedside 24 hours a day, including sleeping overnight, in all pediatric units except the NICU.
- Two adult visitors (>18 years and/or legal guardian) may accompany a child to the pre-procedure area, and one of them may be in the recovery room with a pediatric patient.
- Jo Carole and Ronald S. Lauder Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU):
- Each NICU baby can have up to six approved visitors. Only two of these approved visitors may be at the bedside with the baby at a given time.
- Two banded caregivers: Able to visit throughout the day except for change of shift hours (7:00 am to 7:30 am and 7:00 am to 7:30 pm).
- Up to four additional pre-identified visitors can visit during hospital visitation hours (9 am to 9 pm). These visitors must be 18 years or older.
- Sibling visitation for children 2-17 years of age is coordinated through the NICU child-life program
- Each NICU baby can have up to six approved visitors. Only two of these approved visitors may be at the bedside with the baby at a given time.
Mount Sinai West
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU): Each baby can have up to six approved visitors. Only two of these approved visitors may be at the bedside with the baby at the same time.
- Two banded visitors: Able to visit throughout the day except for change of shift hours of 6:30 am to 7:30 am and 6:30 to 7:30 pm.
- Four additional pre-identified visitors can visit during hospital visitation hours of 9 am to 9 pm. They must be over 12 years old and accompanied by an adult if younger than 18.
Ambulatory /Outpatient Sites:
- Pediatric patients may be accompanied by two adult caregivers (parent(s) or legal guardian(s), unless another individual is identified based on the family's situation (such as a Support Person to ensure effective communication and full and equal access to healthcare services).
- All visitors must be 18 years of age or older.
Note: The visitor policy may be adjusted to ensure the safety of patients, staff, and visitors. This may include limitations on visiting hours and the number of visitors at bedside. Click here for the most up to date visitor policy and for more information about other Mount Sinai locations policies.
During Your Child’s Procedure
How long a procedure takes varies depends on your child’s condition and the type it is. Your child’s care team can give you an estimated time, but it is only an estimate. The procedure may take more or less time than the estimate.
We understand that waiting for your child can be stressful. Here are some suggestions of what families like yours have done to help pass the time:
- Some find it helpful to take a walk outside, in a nearby Park for example
- Read a book, watch TV, or read on your phone
- Grab a bite to eat and stay hydrated
- Have support from family or friends in person or via phone
You can receive updates on your child’s procedure with text messages. Please bring a working cell phone number during the registration process to be automatically enrolled.
After Your Child’s Procedure
Your child’s surgeon will come to see you in the designated waiting area when the procedure is completed. After that, your child will be brought from the operating room to the recovery room.
Visiting Your Child After a Procedure
We understand that you will be very eager to see your child after the procedure. When the time is right for you to see your child, a member of your child’s medical team will meet you in the family waiting room and bring you to your child’s bedside in the recovery room.
Depending on the procedure, your child may then be transferred from the recovery room to one of our pediatric units.
Remember to wash your hands or use hand sanitizer every time you enter or leave the recovery room to help ensure a safe recovery. Hand sanitizer dispensers are located conveniently throughout the recovery room. Hand hygiene plays an important role in preventing infection in the hospital. It is your right to ask anyone entering your child’s room to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer.
Going Home After Your Child's Procedure
A frequent question asked by our patients’ parents and/or guardians is: "When can my child go home?" The answer varies, depending on what type of surgery they had.
If you have inquiries about your child's discharge after the procedure, make sure to bring them up with your child’s surgeon and care team.
In cases where your child undergoes a procedure that doesn't necessitate an overnight stay, they will remain at the facility for a few hours following the procedure.
Managing Pain After a Procedure
After the procedure, your child may experience pain. Your child’s care team will recommend medications to take to relieve the pain. Some pain medications are available to purchase over the counter (Tylenol, Motrin, etc). Others require a prescription. Your surgeon will discuss what medications are best and how often your child might need to take them. Most of the medicines we recommend are available over the counter. If your child is experiencing pain that is not controlled with the medications we recommended, please call your child’s care team.