Older children, such as those of junior high and high school age, share many of the same fears regarding surgery. As a whole, children in these age groups fear dying during surgery, being disfigured or obviously different from their peers after surgery and showing weakness or a loss of control.
Your child is old enough to understand what happens during surgery and will require a more detailed explanation than younger children. They should have an opportunity to ask questions of their surgeon and should be included in any discussions about the surgery if they so desire. Children of this age may feel information is being withheld from them if they are excluded from decisions and discussions about their health.
After surgery, this age group is more likely to deny having pain when they are indeed in pain, in an effort to maintain control of the situation. They are more likely to be deny they have any symptoms of complications, especially if the complication is potentially embarrassing like constipation or the inability to urinate.
One way to help this age group deal with the stress of surgery both before and after the procedure is to allow them to bring their headphones, books or other personal items that provide a distraction with them.
