• Reference Number: HEY1070/2022
• Departments: Day Surgery (DSU), Paediatrics
• Last Updated: 31 October 2022

Introduction

This advice sheet has been produced to give you information and advice about a paediatric adenoidectomy. It is not meant to replace discussion between you and your child’s doctor. If after reading it, you require further explanation please discuss this with the relevant person who has been caring for your child.

Your child’s consultant is _________________________

Surgery performed by ___________________________

Please call:

Paediatric Day Surgery Unit, CHH – tel: 01482 624780 – Monday to Wednesday 08:00 to 18:00

Acorn Ward, Women and Children’s Hospital HRI – tel: 01482 382703 or tel: 01482 382679

Following your child’s operation

Your child will need to be kept in the recovery unit for a minimum of 4 hours.  If there is no evidence of bleeding at this stage and your child has eaten and drank then they can be discharged home.

Pain relief

You will need to give pain relief medication to your child for at least the next two days. Please have some paracetamol and Ibuprofen available

Eating and Drinking

Your child can eat their usual normal diet.

Provide plenty of water or juice drinks and encourage your child to brush their teeth at least twice a day.

• Keep your child indoors for the first 2 days.
• Keep your child away from smokey and dusty atmospheres.
• Keep your child away from anyone suffering from coughs and colds for the first week.

You should call the Ward if:

Your child is having a lot of pain and pain relief medication does not seem to help.

• If your child’s temperature is raised and paracetamol or Ibuprofen does not bring it down. Or you are unsure if their temperature is up or not.
• Your child is not eating or drinking properly.
• There is bleeding from the nose or mouth.
• If your child vomits fresh (bright red) blood.
• If your child brings up black or reddish / brown vomit more than once.

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, your child’s information will be shared between members of the 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 or social 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 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. www.hey.nhs.uk/privacy/data-protection

If you or your child’s carer needs information about your child’s health and well-being and about your child’s 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.

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.