Long journey home after a GA?

[roisin]

DS2 is having a minor op next week (birth mark removal). The surgeon says he may or may not be kept in overnight.

We live about 2 hrs from the hospital.

A friend has told me that under no circumstances should we come home the same day, because kids are so ill after GAs, and that two of her children have been very sick on the journey home. She said if they insist on discharging him, we should go to a hotel for the night.

I have zero experience of hospitals, but I would have thought if he's unlikely to be fit enough for a long car journey, they shouldn't discharge him. The op his on his lower back/bum, so he is likely to be very uncomfortable in the car whatever time he's sent home. But if hospital say he's fine to go, we should take their advice and expect him to be OK.

Or is that cloud cuckoo land on my part?

[Bronze]

No experience with children but I did a two hour journey after a general and I just slept the whole way.

[hoxtonchick]

i have had a general once, & felt really washed out for a week afterwards (i went home to be looked after by my parents, i was 24....). i should think he'll sleep in the car. is he generally prone to travel sickness? i'm sure they will give him sufficient pain meds if they do discharge him the same day.

[roisin]

He is very prone to travel sickness anyway

I'm tempted to think it would be better to get him home sooner rather than later when he's still on high pain meds and drowsy!

We have got a hospital here (just no paediatric plastic surgery), so it's not like we'd have to go all the way back if he became very unwell, I think they would treat him locally.

[DrNortherner]

My ds has had 3 GA's and has only been sick after one of them but that's cause he ate something when he came too.

Make sure he eats at the hospital so if he is gping to be sick he can throw up there.

For the car journey take blankets and pillows and he will probably sleep.

Bless him - hope he is not too uncomfortable.

[shellye]

I was a Sister in a day surgery unit. 1 hour max was our policy for going home the same day, especially for kids. Children are not generally ill after GA, they are just tired. Some kids are hyper though. I have also worked in anaesthetics.

2 parents or carers should also be in the car on the journey home if they do allow you home in the same day. There should be a policy on this in the unit, ring and find out.

[roisin]

Thanks DrNortherner, that's all really helpful.

Shellye - "1 hour max" - does that mean 1 hour after the op, or allowed home if the op doesn't last more than 1 hour?

[shellye]

Sorry, it means if you live more than 1 hour away you couldn't be done as a daycase. Length of surgery also taken into account. Don't worry about post-op. Most people these days completely fine after GA. I have seen hundreds of patients come and go in day surgery. 99.9% go home the same day a little tired but fit and well with no sickness at all. Anaesthesia has come along way.

[rosealbie]

My dd had had three ga's and not been sick after any of them, although admittedly, we didn't have to travel straight away either.

She did want to eat straight after coming round though and so hopefully your ds will be the same and then sleep in the car.

[roisin]

They did initially say they wanted him in the night before. But when we assured him we would ensure he didn't eat 12 hrs before, and that we were happy getting up in time to set off at 6 am, they agreed for us to be in at 8 am.

My mum has offered to have ds1 for a few days, so both dh and me will be available so we can have 2 adults in the car back.

ds2 is very unconcerned about the whole thing, but I feel quite apprehensive.

[geogteach]

speak to the anaethisist about your worries (they will come round before the op). Ds1 has had 4 generals, he was very sick after the 1st but since then we have mentioned it and he has been given anti sickness drugs. He has been fine and running around later the same day.

[DrNortherner]

roisin how old is ds 2? You will find he will bounce back so quickly, kids are resiliant!

It will be far far worse for you my dear....prepare to sob like a baby when he is wheeled off on that trolley.

I tried to pull myself together with thoughts of at least it is a fairly routine op and nothing hugely serious.

[roisin]

ds2 is 9 and generally very bouncy, so I'm sure you're right DrNortherner.

ds1 is starting secondary in September and is utterly unconcerned.

I'm not really a 'worrier', but I'm far more anxious about both things than either of them. I guess that's being a mum!

[MrsBergerac]

My daughter has had about 10 GAs and was only sick after the last one. At our local children's hospital (Sheffield) they always make sure the child can eat and drink something and keep it down before they get sent home. We nearly had to stay the night last time because my daughter was so sick, but then she made a miraculous recovery and we were discharged at 10.30 pm.

[Tunicate]

Oh no, this has made me worried now. DS (2) is having a GA this friday in London and we've got about 3-4 hours travel home after (tube then car). They said it was OK, but when he had the last one locally, they made us take him home by car even though it's only 10 mins by bus, he seemed fine - running about, but then very sleepy later that day.

So I'd just assumed he'd sleep all the way home. I really hope this isn't going to be horrible for him, but I don't think there's an alternative.