Day of your surgery

• Your child’s or youth’s health card (you will need to pay with a credit card if you do not have the health card with you or if it has expired)
• Legal guardianship papers (if you are not the parent)
• Inhalers and other prescribed medications that your child or youth takes every day, and a list of their other medications and supplements
• Equipment that the surgeon has prescribed
• Private insurance information
• Comfortable clothes
• Eyeglasses (no contact lenses)
• Plastic hair elastics
• Slippers or clean indoor shoes
• Pacifiers and diapers, if needed
• A clean comfort toy or blanket your child can take into the operating room (we will label this with your child’s name)
• Empty sippy cups or bottles (if needed)
• Breast pump, if needed
• Specialty formula, if needed

Please arrive at the time provided. Arriving on time is very important because it will give everyone time to get ready for the surgery or procedure.

You will find the Surgical Day Unit on Level 3 of the main CHEO building. In the Surgical Day Unit you will:

• meet and register with a patient service clerk
• provide your child’s or youth’s health card
• confirm information about your child or youth
• receive an ID badge to wear for the day to identify you as their parent or caregiver

Many families come for surgery at the same time. Patients and families may feel uncomfortable sharing information if others are standing close enough to hear. Please give other families enough space to keep their conversations with our staff private.

You are not permitted to take photos or videos. Please consider the privacy of other families and our staff.

• will give your child or youth a checkup and ask about earlier experiences with hospitals and surgery
• may apply a special cream to the skin to numb the area for the IV
• will give your child or youth hospital pajamas to wear
• will show you to the playroom where they can play while waiting for surgery
• may give your child or youth medication before the anesthesia. If we give them a sedative before surgery, they will rest in bed until surgery. The sedative quickly makes them drowsy and wobbly, so do not leave their side.

Child life specialists are also available on the day of surgery. They can help explain what it’s like to have a surgery or procedure. Children and youth often have many questions about what will happen to them on the day of surgery.

Child life specialists:

• develop ways for children and youth to cope with fear and anxiety    Help prepare children and youth for tests and procedures
• enhance children and youth’s emotional, social and intellectual growth during their hospital stay
• offer chances for therapeutic play and organize playroom programs

If you have any questions or concerns about preparing your child or youth for surgery, please contact a child life specialist at 613-737- 7600, ext. 3077.

Volunteers (under the direction of Child Life Services) help support play activities in the playroom. Toys and activities help pass the time and help children to feel more relaxed. Children often express their feelings best through play.

Please have slippers or clean shoes for your child or youth to wear into the operating room. Outdoor shoes are not allowed in the operating room.

Different members of the health-care team will ask you questions before the surgery, and this is also an opportunity for you to ask questions and discuss the plan of care. This ensures that all members of the team have the same important information about the surgery of your child or youth. In many cases, the surgeon will use a marker to mark the site of the surgery.

Your child can bring a soft toy or blanket for comfort.

We understand that surgery can be a stressful experience for families. We offer a program for eligible patients to have one parent, or other support person, stay with them for the start of anesthesia. 

The program is only available for scheduled surgeries (no emergency surgeries) where the patient is at least one-year old, medically stable without complex medical needs and wants to have a parent or caregiver with them. 

We may not be able to offer this program if we do not have a volunteer or child life specialist available. The anesthesiologist has the final decision about whether this program is right for your child or youth.

In the operating room, you will help the most when you:

• allow your child or youth to go to the OR on their own if they want    
• hold their hand gently sing or talk to them in a soothing, quiet voice
• don’t ask them too many questions as they are going to sleep

 You are not allowed to take photos in the operating room.

As children and youth become sleepy from anesthesia, some fall asleep quickly and others enter a stage of excitement, during which they may move their arms or legs. Some may seem dizzy, with noisy breathing or coughing. You may notice their eyes roll back. All of this is very normal. Your child or youth will not remember this stage.

Please wait in the Family Waiting Room on Level 3 (room 3108 B, just in front of the elevators):

• This is where the surgeon will look for you when the surgery is over and bring you to a consultation room to discuss the surgery.
• The waiting room is a good place to think about any questions you’d like to ask the surgeon when the surgery is over.
• A nurse or volunteer will look here for you to re-unite you with your child or youth.
• You can eat, drink and use your cell phone in the waiting room.

If time allows during your child or youth’s surgery or procedure, you may visit:

• Oasis Coffee Shop on Level 2, across from the Admitting Department (open from 7:30 am to 11 pm)
• Rainbow Cafeteria on Level 1 (open from 6:30 am to 2 pm)
• Gift Shop on Level 2, near the front entrance (open from Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm and weekends 12 to 4 pm)
• KidCare Pharmacy (open Monday to Friday 8 am to 6 pm and weekends 10 am to 4 pm)

Please make sure one parent or guardian stays in the hospital.