Children are unique when it comes to surgery because they often take on the attitude of their parents, good or bad. If a parent is obviously fearful of surgery, the child can often pick up on that emotion and become fearful. Addressing anxiety is very important as studies have shown that children who are calm before surgery have better outcomes.
Children should be told of the procedure with enough time to have their questions answered, surprising a child with a surgical procedure can lead to lasting fear of healthcare and should be avoided whenever possible.
A child will usually adopt a parent’s healthy attitude toward surgery, so it is important to be upbeat and positive about surgery in general. A great example is this: “After your tonsils are removed you will be able to eat ice cream and popsicles” rather than “after your surgery you will get cold things to eat because your throat will hurt”.
The best way to approach surgery varies with the age of the child. With young children parents often decide not to tell the child about the surgery until a few days prior to the procedure to prevent the “are we there yet?” type of response. Older children may be well aware of the scheduled surgery, but should have multiple opportunities to ask questions of the surgeon.
In older children, their view of surgery may be skewed by what is seen on television, so a “reality check” type of meeting with the surgeon may be necessary. Most pediatric hospitals offer pre-surgery tours and information sessions to help relieve anxiety, and offer many programs to help their patients.
More Information: Preparing Kids For Surgery
Sources:
Anxiety Disorder. Patient Version. U.S. National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute. January 10, 2008.
