Prepare for Surgery

Before the surgery

Your child's surgery or procedure date

Your child's surgeon will contact the hospital to arrange the surgery or procedure, including a potential date. At this stage, you will receive a notification by email or letter that we have placed you on the waitlist.

You will then receive a call from a member of our booking team to set a date. Closer to your child's surgery date, a nurse will call you to help prepare you and your child, including answering any questions you may have.

You will receive a call from Procedures and Surgical Services one working day (from Monday to Friday) before your child's procedure. They will provide details such as fasting instructions, when your child should stop eating before their surgery, and your recommended arrival time.

Prepare yourself

Our surgical teams are happy to talk you through the surgery and answer your questions. For clinic appointments with your child's surgeon, bring a pen and paper and write a list of questions beforehand. Taking notes during the appointments will help you get all the information you need before your child's procedure.

If you know what to expect, you will be better able to support your child.

Read Your Child's Surgery or Procedure (PDF), which includes general information and guidance to support you.

• पंजाबी (Punjabi) (PDF)
• हिंदी (Hindi) (PDF)
• tiếng Việt (Vietnamese) (PDF)
• عربي (Arabic) (PDF)
• 中文(繁體) (Traditional Chinese) (PDF)
• 中文(简体) (Simplified Chinese) (PDF)
• فارسی (Farsi) (PDF)
• Kurdî (Kurdish/ Sorani) (PDF)

Prepare your child

• Be honest with your child about what will happen. Children may be able to tell when you are not being truthful, and this can worsen their anxiety or fear
• Talk to your child about why the surgery or procedure is necessary. For example, "The doctor knows a way to stop the earaches. She is going to put little tubes in your ears. We won't be able to see them, but they will help you hear better and feel better"
  • Discuss with your child the hard parts that the surgery or procedure may include. Knowing what to expect can help you support your child
• Find out what your child already knows. Ask them to tell you what they already know or fear. Questions you can ask include:
  • "What is an operation?"
  • "Do you know how they do it?"
• Use play. Sometimes, playing with dolls, medical toys and masks, or drawing pictures, makes it easier for children to understand and communicate than verbally explaining details to them
• Read the Welcome to Procedures at BC Children's Hospital picture book (PDF) to help prepare for the day of the surgery or procedure
• Watch the BC Children's Hospital procedures video together. This is a child-centred explanation of what you can expect on their surgery day

These plans work best if you go over them a few times before the surgery date. Children younger than four respond best to shorter preparation time, closer to the date. Use a calm and soothing voice to reassure your child during any discussions before their procedure.

Additional supports

If your youth is anxious about an upcoming appointment or procedure and is finding it hard to cope, please speak to the nurse or surgeon ahead of your child's surgery.

They will connect you with our Child Life team. This team has expertise in helping children and families cope with the stress associated with hospital care, including surgeries. Learn more about the Child Life team.

Pre-Anesthesia Clinic

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The BC Children’s Hospital Pre-Anesthesia Clinic prepares children for surgery. This can shorten a child or youth’s stay in hospital. 

Not all children and youth will need to visit the clinic. If a doctor registers a patient with this clinic, we will call them to book an appointment. The clinic visit takes place two to seven days before the surgery or procedure. Out-of-town patients will have their appointment on the weekday immediately before their surgery. 

During the appointment 

• We will measure and record your child or youth’s weight, height, blood pressure and pulse
• The anesthetist will explain the anesthetic procedure and answer questions
• If your child or youth needs to see any other health-care professionals, we arrange for this to happen on the day of the clinic visit
• Your child or youth will have any tests or X-rays the surgeon needs
• You can get answers to your questions or concerns. If you have information to share about your child or youth, talk with your doctor or nurse during your clinic visit

Please note: The clinic visit will take one to three hours, depending on the number of tests needed. 

During the surgery 

Depending on your child's condition and surgery, you may be able to stay with your child while they are being put to sleep using an anesthetic. Once your child is fully asleep, a surgical team member will guide you to a nearby waiting room.

The surgical team can estimate how long the procedure will take. However, the time required can vary.

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After the surgery

After your child's surgery, the surgeon will come to the waiting room to discuss how the surgery went. Please return to the waiting room when the team advises you your child will be in recovery. It is important that you are in the waiting room to meet the surgeon at this time.

As soon as it is safe to do so, a staff member will invite you to be with your child after their surgery or procedure in the recovery area. We make every effort to have you at the bedside before your child wakes up. However, they may already be awake or waking up when you arrive.

Your child may be drowsy, confused, restless or upset when they wake up. These feelings are a normal part of recovery from surgery. We recommend that the bed rails are up and that you stay at your child's side for their safety, and to reduce the risk of falls, particularly as they wake up.

Your child will stay in this area, known as the recovery area, until they are awake and comfortable.

Day surgery

If your child is having a day surgery, a nurse will explain how you can take care of your child once you leave the hospital. These instructions will include what and when to feed your child, medications they may need, and how to keep them comfortable.

Overnight stays

If your child is staying overnight in the hospital, a nurse will coordinate their transfer to a hospital bed for their overnight stay.

Your child may feel sick after surgery. This is normal. However, if you have concerns, please speak to a member of their care team for support.