Safety Tips for Surgery

Questions to ask before and after your child has surgery

Ask that any sedatives (sleep medicines) be given at the hospital and not at home before coming to the hospital.
Talk to the surgeon and others who will operate on your child.
- Ask how much experience they have performing the operation.
- It is important that you are confident in the ability of the people who will operate on your child.

Talk to the surgeon about the part of your child’s body that will be operated on.
- Ask the surgeon to mark the part to be operated on while you are in the room. This will make sure it is the correct part.
- Make sure the surgeon marks only the correct part and nowhere else. Ask if you can stay with your child until the sedatives begin working and your child falls asleep.

Ask if pediatric specialists will be caring for your child in the recovery area.
Do all that you can to make sure your child is safe after leaving the hospital:
- Ask about the care your child will need at home.
- Get written instructions.
- Get the names and phone numbers of people to call if you have questions or in case of an emergency.