What to Expect at Pre-Surgery Visit

Your child’s pre-operative clinic appointment will be held in the Kathy and Joe Sanderson Tower. Here you will meet our nurse practitioner and nurse coordinator. They will direct you through your day. This appointment can last up to four hours because of all the things that need to be taken care of.

Clinic visit

A staff member will register you and your child, and your youngster’s height and weight will be measured.

Once in the clinic room, the routine includes:

• Your child’s heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, temperature and oxygen saturation will be measured.
• A nurse practitioner will obtain a complete medical history of your child and perform a physical examination.
• Lab work and other procedures may be conducted, including:
  • Chest X-ray
  • Blood work (complete blood count, blood chemistries, blood clotting times, urinalysis, type and cross-match)
  • Electrocardiogram
  • Echocardiogram

Anesthesia planning

After all of this is completed, you will also meet with an anesthesiologist. The anesthesiologist will review your child’s health history and discuss anesthesia needs with you.

Orientation and introductions

We will educate you about the intensive care unit, surgical floor and cardiac step-down unit, and you will meet many members of our care team. We want to make sure that we provide you with information to make you feel comfortable and informed about your child’s cardiac surgery.