• Reference Number: HEY1458/2024
• Departments: Day Surgery (DSU), Paediatrics
• Last Updated: 30 September 2024

Introduction

This leaflet has been produced to give parents information and advice following Minor Surgery.  It is not intended to replace the discussion between you and your Child’s Doctor.  If after reading it, you have any concerns or require further explanation, please discuss this with the relevant person who has been caring for your child.

Should you need any further help or advice please telephone:

• Paediatric Day Surgery Unit, CHH on tel: 01482 624780 – Monday to Wednesday 08:00 to 18:00
• Acorn Ward, Women and Children’s Hospital, HRI on Tel: 01482 382703 or tel: 01482382679
• OR contact the Paediatric Community Team Tel: 01482344075

Follow-up

• If a wound check is needed the Community Paediatric Team will be informed and will contact you to make an appointment.
• If an appointment is needed to be seen by the consultant/surgeon this will be arranged for you and sent to you in the post.

School/Nursery

• Your child will need to be off school or nursery for two to three days.
• This depends on the type of surgery they have had.
• It may be necessary for your child to avoid PE or sport for a short period.
• If you feel that your child needs a little longer to recover, we are happy for you to use your personal judgement.

After the Surgery

• If stitches have been used, they usually do not need removing and will dissolve in two to three weeks.
• If the stitches do need removing, then the Community Children’s Nurses will contact you with an appointment clinic.
• A small dressing may be covering the wound. Please keep this dry and clean for the following five to seven days.
• There may also be a small amount of swelling, bruising or leakage from the dressing for a couple of days. (If this increases or causes you concern then contact us).

Pain Relief

• During the surgery it is usual for some local anaesthetic to be used, which will help with pain relief after surgery.
• We recommend that for the first 24 to 48 hours a suitable form of analgesia is given regularly if needed e.g. Paracetamol or Ibuprofen. This should be the appropriate dose for weight and age.
• Ibuprofen may not be suitable for asthmatics.

General Advice and Consent

Most of your questions should have been answered by this leaflet, but remember that this is only a starting point for discussion with the healthcare team.

Consent to treatment

Before any doctor, nurse or therapist examines or treats your child, they must seek your consent or permission. In order to make a decision, you need to have information from health professionals about the treatment or investigation which is being offered to your child. You should always ask them more questions if you do not understand or if you want more information.

The information you receive should be about your child’s condition, the alternatives available for your child, and whether it carries risks as well as the benefits. What is important is that your consent is genuine or valid. That means:

• you must be able to give your consent
• you must be given enough information to enable you to make a decision
• you must be acting under your own free will and not under the strong influence of another person

Information about your child

We collect and use your child’s information to provide your child with care and treatment. As part of your child’s care, information about your child will be shared between members of a healthcare team, some of whom you may not meet. Your child’s information may also be used to help train staff, to check the quality of our care, to manage and plan the health service, and to help with research. Wherever possible we use anonymous data.

We may pass on relevant information to other health organisations that provide your child with care. All information is treated as strictly confidential and is not given to anyone who does not need it. If you have any concerns please ask your child’s doctor, or the person caring for your child.

Under the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 we are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any information we hold about your child. For further information visit the following page: Confidential Information about You.

If you need information about your child’s (or a child you care for) health and wellbeing and their care and treatment in a different format, such as large print, braille or audio, due to disability, impairment or sensory loss, please advise a member of staff and this can be arranged.