What To Expect From Your Surgery at Children's Hospital Colorado

Hi, I'm Matt. This is my friend Nora, and we're going to show you around the surgery area. Um, I've had surgery here. Come on, let's get started. You're probably here for a surgery, where a doctor called a surgeon may fix a part of your body. It's normal to be a little nervous, but the people you will meet are all here to help you and can answer any questions you may have regarding your surgery. First, you'll check in at the registration desk so the doctors and nurses know you're here. They'll give you an I.D. bracelet with your name and birthday on it. You and your family will go into an exam room where you will change your clothes, put on hospital pajamas or a hospital gown and slipper socks. The doctors and nurses will want to make sure you're healthy before your surgery. The nurse will check your vital signs. Do you know what your vital signs are? Your vital signs are things like your heartbeat and temperature. The nurse will listen to your heartbeat by using a tool called a stethoscope. That's called a blood pressure cuff. It feels like a tight hug on your arm or leg. The nurse will use a thermometer to check to see if you have a high temperature or fever. The nurse might check your temperature in your ear, under your tongue, on your forehead or in your armpit. The nurse will need to know how much oxygen or air you have in your body. The nurse will put a tiny band-aid with a little red light on your finger or toe. This is called a pulse oximeter. Don't worry, the red light never gets hot. The nurse will also need to know how tall you are and how much you weigh. You and your family will talk with two kinds of doctors. One doctor is your surgeon. The other doctor is the anesthesiologist or the doctor who gives you your sleep medicine. You can ask your doctors any questions you might have. This doctor will talk with you about the medicine you will have to sleep. The sleep for surgery is different when you are at home in your bed. When it's time to go into the room where you get your sleep medicine, the nurses wear clothes called scrubs, a hat and a mask. They wear these outfits to keep it really clean in the room where you get your sleep medicine so that you won't get any germs. Germs can sometimes make you sick. Some kids walk to the sleep room and other kids ride in a bed. This is a room where kids get their sleep medicine. See this big blue pillow? The machine behind this gives you the sleep medicine. See those lights? They might be a little bright, but they won't touch you. The doctor uses them to see better. You'll see your nurses and doctors in this room. Most kids breathe their sleep medicine through a mask. Sometimes the sleep medicine smells funny, so they might let you pick a scent or flavor before you start to make it smell better. Other kids get their sleep medicine through an IV, which is a short name for an intravenous catheter. The tiny tube sits in your vein to give your body a drink. Veins are the blue lines you see when you look at the back of your hand or arm. The nurses can give you medicine through your IV to help you feel better. When you sleep with this medicine, it's a little different than when you sleep at home. When you're asleep for surgery, you won't feel anything. You'll sleep the whole time the doctor is fixing your body. When the surgery is done, the sleep doctor will stop giving you your sleep medicine. Then you'll wake up in the recovery room. You will also meet a nurse who will help you feel comfortable. Whoever came with you can see you when you wake up. When you wake up, you might get a Popsicle, juice, slushies, or other things to drink. Before your surgery, it's important not to eat or drink anything for a little while because the sleep medicine helps your whole body fall asleep, including your stomach. If you have food or drink in your stomach, then it may get sick and make your surgery unsafe. When you're ready to leave the hospital, the nurse will gently take the tape and IV off your hand or arm. It feels just like taking a Band-Aid off. If you are spending the night at the hospital, then you and whoever brought you will go together to your room here. There is a playroom with fun things for you to do while you're here. When the doctor says you're ready, then you'll get to leave the hospital. Surgery is over! It was a lot easier than I thought it would be. And now we're going to share 10 of our favorite things about surgery at Children's Colorado. Children! Slushies! The playroom! Scented medicine! Ball machines! Lego hospital! Stress balls and pinwheels! You're going to do great with your surgery.