Jump to content

Menu

Does anyone have experience with surgery on their little ones?


Recommended Posts

Our youngest will be 14 months old the end of this week, and he has to have surgery. He has a dermoid cyst along his eyebrow and we are having it removed. It was not noticeable when he was born...I first felt it when he was about 3 1/2 months old. It has grown from there, and the surgeon said it would continue to grow. We want it removed while he is too young to remember the surgery, and the long term scarring should be minimal.

 

I'm awaiting a call from the children's hospital to set the date of the surgery. I'm extremely nervous about this...mostly because of them putting him under general anesthesia. I looked online at the hospital's website, and it mentions that they sometimes allow parents to go into the room with the child while they give them the anesthesia...I'm torn on whether I would feel better or worse doing that. I'd like to hear from anyone who has been through surgery with a little one and how they reacted to the anesthesia (and how you handled it.)

 

Thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ds5 had his tonsils/adenoids out when he was 27 months old. I was with him while they sedated him and felt much better about it. I was able to comfort him while he fell asleep, and was also able to be with him as he woke up. He handled the anesthesia fine, but when he woke up he was freaked out because we had just listened to The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (the Focus version) on a car trip about 2-3 days prior. His nurse was really tall, with really white hair, and was dressed all in white. He thought she was the White Witch :eek:.

 

He also had conscious sedation twice over the summer for a Bone Marrow biopsy and aspiration. He thought that was quite fun...I think he enjoyed his "dreams".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One option they gave us was to sedate her before going into the operating room (they do it) so that she would be drowsy, compliant and wouldn't remember anything afterward. A friend who's son has had surgery 8 times starting in infancy told me that it can be scary to be actually in the operating room when they put them under - apparently there is a moment when the gas is taking effect when they have a little "seizure" (perfectly natural apparently but really scary to watch). I'd ask if he could be sedated first (in Mama's comforting arms) before the anesthesia.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

She a bit older than your little one. They gave her a medicine to sedate her before giving her the anesthesia in the OR. The nurse said her last memory would be of being with me and dh in the waiting room. I liked that idea. I didn't want her to freak out as they wheeled her away. My advice would be to be with your son while he is sedated. Dd woke up from her surgery laughing and giddy. After a few hours when the anesthesia fully wore off (she had quite a bit because the surgery was 3 hrs long), she started crying, saying she wanted to go home, and began pulling on her IVs. That didn't last long though. The nurses said sometimes the anesthesia will make them very crabby for a little bit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Our eldest had surgery when he was 18 months old and our youngest had a minor heart surgery requiring sedation last year when she was 3 years old. Both times they were given a "happy drug" first that calms them down and makes them drowsy. Once it takes effect, they would wheel our child away with no problems.

 

I also would have trouble seeing them sedate my child in the OR. I worry enough without having to see it. I am a weenie I guess. But the happy drug really works to calm your child down enough that when they wheel her/him away, it is no problem.

 

The waking up is really the worse part, IMHO. Both children did not wake up happy. It is scary waking up from general anesthesia. Your brain is fuzzy and you don't always remember what is going on. I seriously doubt you would have any issues being there when they wake up. Have a favorite stuffed animal or other item with you and be prepared to hold your child for a long time (which can be difficult if there are any IV's still in them).

 

Good luck and everything should be just fine :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

it was a bit un-nerving for ME. He was under 2 and the frequency of his ear infections worried us because of the potential of hearing loss. Today at 17 :)he has excellent relative pitch and plays 4 musical instruments.

 

We were not in a hospital because it was "outpatient" surgery. DS was playing happily on the climbing equipment, and I had to fetch him out. He had a vague idea what was going to happen as I had tried to explain that he would breathe pretty smelling air and he would fall asleep and that I would be with him while the doctor repaired his ears so they wouldn't hurt so often.

 

He was fine and they were moving very slowly to keep him calm. He was nearly under when I felt the little jerk that one sometimes gives when "falling" asleep. Unfortunately that was just enough to bring him out of total drowsiness and he began to panic. I told the anesthetist to "do it quickly" - just put him under. The panic lasted all of a few seconds - just long enough for me to alert the anesthetist, and him to increase the gas. Poof. After he was "asleep" I was asked to leave (I was not allowed to watch the operation). I was at his bed side when he was wheeled out, and as far as he was concerned I was there the whole time.

 

He has no memory of the gas or the operation; no unpleasant ones anyway. He does remember playing on the jungle gym and that he chose "bubble gum" as the pretty smell (even though he had no idea what bubble gum smells like).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Due to birth defects, he has had five surgeries (two were just overnight stays, three were more major events) and I forget how many invasive tests done under general anesthesia.

 

My guy was okay with general anesthesia, but did remain very nauseous for close to a day afterwards, even with the antinausea meds. Be aware that very little children often wake up from anesthesia completely disoriented and crying. It's normal, but still very hard to see, KWIM?

 

One time I did go in and helped hold the anesthesia mask over DS's face. It didn't turn out so well, as he really fought the anesthesia, and was crying and struggling for a few minutes. Truthfully, I would rather not have seen that, my presence didn't help, and it made me feel awful.

 

I'm assuming your little one will be going home that day? Much better that way. Bring a bag or bowl to have in the car in case of vomiting on the ride home.

 

Hope it all turns out fine, and I'm sure it will! Keep us posted!

Michelle T

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As others have mentioned, they can give a small cup of sedative to your DC before wheeling them into the OR. DS had this several times. He was totally out of it, laughing and looking really stoned.

Michelle T

 

I was adamant that my newly adopted 3yo have the pre-leaving Mommy sedative because of attachment issues. the hospital said they didn't do it. I argued and moaned and asked everyone, and we got the stuff. As a friend said, she would have let dracula carry her back to the OR. Definitely insist on it ... and insist that you are in the recovery room at the first sign that your kiddo is regaining consciousness. It may be icky (the kiddo will still be intubated, and there may be oozing), but it really does help the little ones!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My son was 14 m. when he had surgery to correct a skull deformity. They gave him a sedative with us there and he was slowly falling asleep when we put him on the bed and said our good-byes. He was fine. What I have appreciated for all three of his surgeries is having one nurse talk to him so he recognizes at least one person when he is being wheeled away.

 

I really like Children's hospitals. I really like their focus and I noticed a difference just in how they treated the parents.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My little one was only 6 weeks at the time of her surgery. They gave her the happy juice, even though she was so young. They let me hold her before taking her back for the deep sedation. After the surgery, they took her back to her room for her to wake up, and I was able to stay with her at that time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with others about having him sedated beforehand. I was able to stay with my ds while this medicine took effect, and I was able to see him immediately afterward, before he even woke up. I was nursing, and they let me nurse him after he woke up to help him feel better.

 

One note: sometimes the anesthesia can make the kids very nauseous. If I were you, I'd pack a change of clothes for yourself. I sure which I had!:eek:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My youngest had a small tumor removed from her back when she was 2.5. She was terribly frightened of leaving me and this was conveyed to the surgeon. What we did was arrive at the hospital early, and she played in a really neat waiting-room full of children's toys for quite awhile. The hardest part (for both of us) was not nursing her so close to the surgery.

 

Because of her separation anxiety, she was sedated right there in the waiting room. It was a fairly icky solution that she had to drink, but if I remember correctly, the nurse allowed me to give it to her. Within 15 minutes, she was very light-headed and they came to get her for surgery.

 

I will say that I was assured that she would not even know that they were taking her and that she wouldn't remember a thing. She really fought them when they took her and even started screaming, but it honestly lasted all of 10 seconds. When she woke up the first thing she asked for was the popsicle that she was promised by the nurses, LOL! It was as if she had gone to sleep for a nap and just woke up. Nothing more.

 

Months later, she started talking about that day and says she remembers "crying and crying" at the hospital when they took her to have the tumor removed. It was really strange, because she remembers the waiting room, the games she played, drinking the solution, and them taking her! She doesn't remember anything else, however, except for the Dora popsicle that she got afterwards!

 

I hope all goes well with your DS's surgery - sometimes I think that it is hardest on the parent who actuallu understands all that is going on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He had hydroceles and a blocked tear duct. We found surgeons who would owrk on him at the same time, only putting him under once. I was there until he was out and then again as soon as he woke up. He was fine but groggy afterwards, but he is a pretty happy-go-lucky guy.

 

He ended up having surgery again, as the tear duct was worse than they thought, and he had to have more done on the hydroceles, :( so we did the whole thing again. I was much less nervous the second time, if that helps.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My 3 year old ds was also sedated before he was taken back to the OR for surgery (he had to be re-circumsized). He was not concerned in the least when we parted. Coming out of the anesthesia was another story. He did not like the IV in his hand. They didn't want to take it out until he had enough to drink. They ended up taking it out a little early and he calmed down pretty quickly.

 

My advice is to have another person with you to help you comfort him after surgery. Be careful about who you choose to go with you. My dad was going to be the one who went with us to the surgery because my dh thought he would not be able to get off of work that day. I am so glad my dh made it. My dad would not have handled seeing my ds so upset.

 

I hope that everything will go well for your ds. Since he is so young, he shouldn't remember anything about the surgery.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My ds9 had bilateral inguinal hernia surgery when he was 1 month old. He was my first,and I was stressed out about anesthesia. He did great during the surgery except he couldn't nurse after midnight until the surgery. Which for a 1 month old is nutty,and you can just imagine how my b--bs felt! There are always risks with anything medical we do, but the risk is so minimal. Have peace in that your sweetie will do great. Keep us posted!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He had two eye surgeries, when he was just learning to sit up and communicate. He was blind before the surgeries and so the anesthesia was a very minor concern for me. We were just worried about whether he would be able to see. I could not go back with him, but had to hand him off to a nurse. He was fine for the first surgery, the second time he cried.

 

He had no problems coming out of the anesthesia the first time although it gave him horrible constipation. We had trouble for years afterward. This could have been avoided though if I had been aware that it might be a problem. I would have been giving him laxative type foods from right after the surgeries.

 

After the second surgery, he had a harder time, he cried much more, but had no major problems. It was really surprisingly simple.

 

How long will your little one be under? Ds was under for two hours both times.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My little guy has had general anasthesia 6 or 7 times already. He had his spleen removed, a tonsillectomy, and several MRIs. The Children's hospitals are really good at this. They do it all the time and are used to nervous parents and scared kids. I found them all very reassuring and competent. The hardest part for my son was not eating or drinking before it.

 

A Children's hospital should have Child Life specialists who will be there during the sedation helping to calm your child. They can let him pick a favorite smell to put on the sedation mask to make it a little less threatening. You could bring a teddy bear or stuffed toy and let a mask be put on the toy too.

 

I stay with my son until he falls asleep. All but one time it happened so fast that it wasn't at all traumatic. The last time it took longer for him to fall asleep, and he became very agitated first. I think it may have been because they tried to just give him a small dose of oral sedation meds before they used the mask. They were trying to help him get groggy first because he was scared of the mask. I don't like the oral Chloryl Hydrate because he doesn't respond as peacefully to it.

 

He has never had a hard time coming out of sedation. Once it took longer than we expected, but it was his usual naptime and his vitals were good the entire time.

 

Kids bounce back really well after surgery. The day after my son had his spleen removed, he looked horrible. By the third day he was running around the floor with his IV pump!

 

HTH

Link to comment
Share on other sites

another experience here.....

 

My 2d ds was only about 2yo when he inhaled some piece of food and it was stuck in his trachea. He did fine. i honestly don't remember whether they sedated him beforehand or not.

 

At 1.5yo, my little girl had to have a skin tag removed from her neck [it stuck out like an extra pinky!!]. They had me hold some gas under her nose in a separate "pre-sedation" room. It was great. She just sat in my lap while we read a book and she started getting woozy. The nurse was able to lift her right outta my lap w/ no qualms whatsoever.

 

Good luck :-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you all for sharing your experiences with me. I'm glad to know that most of your experiences turned out to be ok. I am hoping that everything goes smoothly and we get through it with little trouble. I want to be as prepared as possible.

 

I am glad we can go to a children's hospital (even though it will mean going the night before and staying in a hotel since it is about 1 hr and 45 minutes away.) I feel much safer knowing they are very familiar with young children under anesthesia.

 

I will go back through and read all of your replies again tomorrow evening...it will help get a fresh perspective on reading them again another day. Thank you all for taking a minute to share.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So he was pretty tiny, and I was terrified. They took him away to do the anesthesia, I bawled when I handed him over. The surgery went fine, but when he came out he went nuts. He screamed for most of the day, and catnapped in between screaming sessions. It took about 8 hours for him to stop crying. Poor baby!

 

I hope everything goes well for your little one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Same experience here-- they gave my dd when she was 18 mo a drink with a sedative in it. It didn't affect her quite like they expected, but she was drowsy. She didn't want them to take her still, but the nurse was wonderful and carried her to the OR and I doubt she remembered after. IF it is in a Chirldren's hospital you will be very pleased. They really do know how to deal with little ones. Hope it goes well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Two of my triplets had surgery at 12 months old. It went just fine. I stayed with each baby until they went to sleep in the operating room.

 

Afterwards, DS1 was sitting up and waving and crowing to people he passed on the way from the recovery room to his room. They wanted him to rest quietly, but he wanted to socialize. He was bouncing around so much that the nurses wanted to *tie* him to his crib -- but I put a quick stop to that -- it horrified me.

 

In contrast, DS2 was in a lot of pain. I immediately made big waves and the doctors increased his morphine dosage. After 24 hours passed, he was fine, and he was pain-free for the vast, vast majority of that time.

 

The boys were operated on at a children's hospital whose employees were very cognizant of the mother-child bond. I was with my babies the entire time, except for during the actual surgery.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Our son was just 6 months old when he had to have surgery for a hemangioma (sp?) in his scrotum. We did not stay with him when put under anthesia. He ended up having an allergic reaction to it, and it was a mess. They also think he got an infection from the surgery, but we'll never know what happened. Basically, watch his temperature after bringing him home. Our little guy started getting lethargic, and zoning out. When the nurse called and asked how he was doing, I told him all the symptoms. Turns out, those nurses are bottom of the rung, and simply go through the motions. She told me he was fine. We ended up rushing him to emergency at a different hospital 24 hrs. later with severe breathing problems. After breathing treatments and antibiotics, he was fine, but I'm not sure that it doesn't have something to do with his learning disabilities, or the sensory disorder he has. He was fine before all that. So, my message is that because they are so young and can't necessarily tell you that they hurt, WATCH carefully, and take them to the hospital if you suspect anything. Don't rely on a call to the Dr. or nurse.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My dd had a tonsillectomy at age 4. We chose to go into the OR with her and hold her hands as she went under. I think it brought her a tremendous peace of mind to look into my eyes as she "went out." It was very surreal to see her go limp. It bothered me greatly. i would chose to do it again though because it was very reassuring for her.

 

Here she is getting the anaesthesia in the OR. IMG_1928.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you for that thought Sunny...yes that is something I worry about, him not being able to tell me how he is feeling. I will keep that in mind.

 

And thank you for sharing that picture of your daughter mommylaw. I'm worried about not being able to handle seeing that moment when he goes under. I have such mixed feelings about it. My MIL suggested maybe having my DH go in without me, but I just don't know if I'd want to not be there for DS...I'm torn on it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He had a hydrocele, similar to a hernia, repaired. They put all of us in the pre-op room and had him gowned up for surgery. He was playing with an uninflated balloon that he was practicing blowing up by himself. They gave him a cup of happy juice and he was all giggles after that. He continued to try to blow up the balloon and was laughing hysterically at the fact that he could only blow raspberries on the balloon. He couldn't blow it up, even a little bit. Then they wheeled him away. My biggest memory of him that day is of him trying to blow up that balloon and all of us laughing so hard.

 

We were in a private recovery room and he woke up cranky for about 10 minutes. They brought him to us in a metal hospital crib and I think waking up in that scared him more than anything. We got to take him out of the crib and then he was fine. He was in a good mood the rest of the day and you would have never know he had surgery.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My son had a circumcision when he was 7, and an appendectomy when he was 13, but for younger children, or very anxious ones, DO request sedation for them before the surgery. Ds took the sedation as a pill in the preoperative area, and the nurse told me to undress him right away and put him in the gown, and bfore I had even finished, he was very drowsy, stopped talking, laid down on the bed.

 

I had read just before that an article in a parents magazine that children who have sedation before surgery are much less fearful of hospitals and doctors, of another surgery or of surgical pain, one year later, than children who have not had it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

if the pre-anesthesia sedative is not the normal course of action, be the squeaky wheel and make it happen. If letting the parents stay with the child until the last possible moment is not standard practice, make it happen for you. If joining the child before anesthesia wears off is not standard practice, squeaky wheel again!

 

The outpatient surgical unit where our then two year old had her eye surgery already knew how to treat parents and children. We had all of the above, plus frequent phone calls from the OR to update us. My daughter is 10 now and does not remember a thing about her surgery!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...