Your child’s operation will be assigned a time slot on the day of surgery, and you will be asked to arrive some time before then to get checked in. You will be given the arrival time for the day of surgery by our office.  The surgical facility may call and give you an arrival time as well.  If you get conflicting information from our office and the surgical facility, please call our office immediately for clarification.  If you are called by the surgical facility on the day of surgery, it is usually because there has been a cancellation and you are being asked to report ahead of schedule.  If this occurs, ask for the new arrival time and follow the instructions below.  If there is any confusion, do not allow your child to eat or drink anything without calling the anesthesiologist at the surgical facility.

Because of the risk of vomiting before, during and after surgery, anesthesiologists have specific guidelines as to what and when a child may eat or drink prior to surgery.  These guidelines are based on your child’s age, and they are listed below.

YOUR CHILD MAY HAVE WHATEVER HE OR SHE DESIRES UNTIL MIDNIGHT THE NIGHT BEFORE SURGERY UNLESS OTHERWISE DIRECTED.

DO NOT FEED YOUR CHILD ANY FOOD, MILK OR FORMULA, OR LIQUIDS OTHER THAN WATER, APPLE JUICE, OR PEDIALYTE AFTER MIDNIGHT ON THE DAY OF SURGERY.

ON THE DAY OF SURGERY, PLEASE FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES FOR BREAST MILK, WATER, APPLE JUICE, OR PEDIALYTE:

Your child may have breast milk until four hours prior to your scheduled arrival time.

Your child may have clear liquids until two hours prior to your scheduled arrival time.  Clear liquids are any liquid that you can see through and which do not contain any particulates.  To be safe, we recommend water, clear apple juice, and Pedialyte as the only acceptable clear liquids on the day of surgery.

REMEMBER, YOUR CHILD MAY NOT UNDERSTAND WHY HE OR SHE IS NOT ALLOWED TO EAT OR DRINK ON THE DAY OF SURGERY, AND HE OR SHE MAY TRY TO SNEAK A MEAL.  PLEASE BE VIGILANT FOR YOUR CHILD’S SAFETY.  CHECK THE BACK SEAT OF YOUR CAR FOR ANY FOOD, LIKE STRAY FRENCH FRIES.

If you have any questions about these instructions, please call our office at 859/275-KIDS (5437).  If your child is taking medications, these can be safely taken with a sip of water.  Please let us know if your child is on any blood thinners like Motrin, or Motrin-like anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS) two weeks prior to surgery.

Please bring the following items with you to your scheduled operation:

  • Any X-rays in your possession
  • Insurance Card(s)
  • Your Child’s Social Security Number
  • Extra diapers
  • A change of clothing for your child
  • A list of your child’s medications and dosages, or the actual bottle(s)
  • Toys your child might need for comfort or entertainment while waiting

If Your Child Is Sick Before Surgery

Obviously, it is not appropriate for your child to have elective surgery unless he or she is healthy.  If your child develops an illness shortly before his or her scheduled operation, the illness may not preclude proceeding with surgery.  Many minor ailments usually quickly resolve and will have no effect on your child’s operation.  Nasal congestion is not normally considered a contraindication for general anesthesia.  If, however, your child is coughing, or if the lungs might be involved, or if your child has developed a urinary tract infection before urinary tract surgery, we may have to reschedule your child’s surgery.  If you think your child’s surgery may have to be rescheduled, call us immediately so that we can make appropriate recommendations.  DO NOT WAIT.  Because of previous abuses, we have instituted a “no-show policy” which you can review elsewhere in this website.  This policy represents a signed contract between you and us concerning last-second cancellations.

If Your Child Develops A Rash Before Surgery

The most common reason we have to cancel surgery on the day of the operation is a rash involving the site of the surgical incision.  This is usually due to a yeast diaper rash.  An active yeast infection inside the diaper will preclude surgery in the area.  Yeast infections typically include red spots around the border of a more confluent area of redness.  A typical story is that a child receives a course of antibiotics within one week of surgery for an upper respiratory illness and then develops a yeast infection.  If your child is given a new prescription of antibiotics just before surgery, please let us know, as we may want to treat your child proactively to prevent a yeast infection.

When it is time for your child’s operation, you will not be allowed to go back into the operating room.  The operating room is a sterile environment that functions like a machine.  The presence of a parent would be distracting to the surgical team and thus potentially diminish the quality of care your child will receive.  Your child’s team will, at the minimum, consist of an anesthesiologist and nurse anesthetist, Dr. Schaeffer, a circulating nurse, and a scrub technician.  The circulating nurse will typically give updates to the family at various intervals during long operations.  We try very hard to predict in advance how long an operation might take.  If we run over this time, do not panic or assume something is going wrong.  Delays may occur for a variety of reasons, many of which have nothing to do with the operation itself.

During the operation, at least one legal guardian must remain in the waiting room at all times.  Do not leave the waiting room while your child is under anesthesia, as we may need to ask you a question or discuss intra-operative findings with you.

After your child’s operation, he or she will be taken to the recovery room.  You will be asked to be with your child as soon as your child is awake.  For outpatient operations, your child will be offered liquids to drink shortly after waking up.  Dr. Schaeffer typically uses local and regional anesthetics (“numbing medicine”) so that your child will not wake up in pain.  Crying is common, usually due to the disorientation of awakening from anesthesia.  Your child may have tubes or drains which are placed to promote good healing, so please be careful when holding your child after surgery.