Your journey through the hospital
For parents
Identification
You will notice that different people will repeatedly ask about your child’s identity: “Who are you?”, “What are you doing here?”, “Why are you here?” This is part of procedures that are important to guarantee safety in the hospital.
To make sure it is the right person, additional verification questions will follow, such as which doctor is treating your child. It is therefore important to be present at the agreed time, so these steps can be completed calmly and your child’s operation can proceed safely.
Why is it so important that your child is fasting?
During an operation, stomach contents can flow into the airway because the protective mechanisms that prevent this are suppressed by the medication given by the anaesthetist. If stomach contents enter the lungs, a serious pneumonia can develop.
Your child may drink clear fluids (e.g. water, apple juice…) up to one hour before the procedure. In practice, this means up to the moment you leave for the operating theatre.
- If your child is under one year old, they may still have milk feeds (breast or bottle) up to four hours before the procedure.
- In some cases, your child may still eat something up to six hours before the procedure. This depends on the timing of the procedure and will be communicated to you personally.
More info can be found at www.uzleuven.be/en/fasting.
The operating theatre
In exceptional cases, as a parent you may be asked not to go with your child to the operating theatre. This is always to guarantee your child’s safety.
For some children, the start of anaesthesia is one of the most critical moments, when the anaesthetist wants to focus fully on your child. At that moment, your child’s care takes priority and it is important that all staff remain in the theatre instead of having to escort you out. You will, of course, have enough time in the preparation area of the operating suite to hand your child over calmly to the nurse.
Anaesthesia
Louka is five years old and falls asleep using a mask with anaesthetic vapour. Older children can also be put to sleep with medication via an IV.
Before placing an IV, a numbing patch can be applied to a clearly visible vein. This is done beforehand on the children’s ward. In the operating theatre, the doctor places an IV at that spot, through which the anaesthetic medication is given.
After the operation
Depending on the size and complexity of the operation, your child may be taken to an intensive care unit.
This is discussed in advance with the surgeon. If possible, the surgeon will contact you after the operation to discuss how the procedure went.