Having surgery

If your child needs surgery, you're likely feeling some anxiety and uncertainty. Rest assured, our highly trained pediatric urologists successfully perform nearly 1,000 surgical procedures on infants, children and adolescents each year. They have decades of combined experience, and they understand how to navigate the unique challenges of treating children and their growing bodies.

Our dedicated surgeons collaborate with a team of physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, nursing assistants and child life specialists in order to provide excellent, compassionate care in a supportive and healing environment. They also maintain open communication with your child’s referring physician and your family. Your child will also be cared for by skilled anesthesiologists, who will explain the important aspects of anesthesia as well as ways to reduce or eliminate pain during and after your child’s surgery.

Read on to learn more about what to expect before, during and after the procedure.

The day before your child’s surgery, you will receive a call from the Plainview Hospital Surgical Pavilion after 3pm with instructions on when to stop eating and drinking and what time to arrive for your surgery.

You should pack a bag for the hospital that includes all the essentials you will need, including:

• Photo identification of parent/legal guardian
• Guardianship papers, if needed
• Health insurance card (If your insurance company requires preapproval or a second opinion, you are responsible for getting it. If you have any questions about your insurance coverage, call your insurance company.)
• Copies of all medical documents and/or forms that were requested by your child’s surgeon (even if you already faxed them to us)
• Your child’s favorite toy or comfort item
• Your child’s favorite bottle or cup to encourage them to drink after surgery

Please arrive at the hospital one and a half hours before your scheduled surgery time and register at the front desk in the main lobby. At that time, you will be escorted to the Surgical Pavilion on the second floor.

Your child will receive a hospital gown and pair of socks, as well as an identification bracelet. Parents and/or guardians will also be given ID bracelets. Please remove any jewelry your child may be wearing, as well as any hair bands containing metal.

Please note that your child should be in optimal health on the day of their surgery. In the case of fever, diarrhea, vomiting, coughing, runny nose, chicken pox, strep throat or any other illness, the surgery may need to be rescheduled; please call the surgeon’s office, as well as Plainview Hospital at (516) 719-2301, for further direction.

Two adults are usually allowed to be with the child on the day of surgery, in both the waiting room before surgery and in the recovery room afterward. One of the adults must be a parent or legal guardian. 

During the actual surgery, the two adults (and any other family members or friends who are 18 or older) will wait in the Surgical Pavilion waiting room. During this time, feel free to use the restroom or get a bite to eat. The surgeon will meet with you in the waiting room after the surgery.

Before the procedure, a nurse will perform a full assessment of your child, including their temperature, heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate. After the assessment, you’ll be joined by your child's surgeon, anesthesiologist and operating room nurse, and you can ask any last-minute questions you may have.

When entering the operating room, your child may bring a special comfort item, like a small stuffed animal or pacifier.

Depending on your child’s age and medical status, one parent or guardian may go with the child into the operating room. If your child is 12 months of age or younger, please speak with your anesthesiologist regarding the possibility of going to the operating room with your child; the anesthesiologist will make the final decision.

For safety reasons, women who are pregnant are unable to accompany children into the operating room. If another family member is not available, one of the Surgical Pavilion nurses or child life specialists can accompany your child.

When your child’s procedure is finished, their surgeon will speak with you in the surgical waiting room or in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), or the “recovery room.” You are encouraged to sit at the bedside. Make sure to wear your ID bracelets to enter the recovery room.

The total amount of time spent in the recovery room will depend on your child’s surgery, age and how they wake up from the anesthesia. Before going home, they will need to be fully awake and have the nurse evaluate their surgical site, and pain will need to be manageable.

You will be given instructions that explain how to manage pain at home, and you will be reminded to schedule a follow-up appointment. In the days following your child’s operation, a nurse will call to check in on you and your child.