My 18 month old DD is having an operation next week with a General Anaesthetic, can someone tell me what to expect?

[MaybeTomorrow]

Hi all,

Just looking for some people's experiences really.

My 18 month old DD is having a small operation next Friday (10 December) to lift up her eyelid. She has had a dropped eyelid since birth and even though they don't normally do this operation until they're about 4 years old, they are concerned that DD may develop a squint if it's not corrected sooner.

So, the op is about 45 minutes and assuming all goes well, she won't be staying in overnight. We've been told that after the op, once she's had a wee and some food and drink, we will be able to take her home.

They said that only one of us can go down to the room with her when they put her to sleep and that she can sit on my lap while they do it. But they did say that they do have to do the needle in the back of the hand thing (is it a canular? I can't remember) but that they use cream to numb it first.

So I guess I would really like to understand some things. Does the cream really work? What might she be like as she drops off to sleep (will she be calm)? What are they generally like when they come around after the anaesthetic because we're not allowed in the recovery room. Anything else that you can tell me? Hints and tips on what to take with us to the hospital? Things to say/not say?

Really any advice that you can give. I totally get that I'm probably going to be more distraught about the whole experience than DD because she is so little, but just want to keep her safe.

Thank you in advance.

I can't tell you about GAs with someone so little, but with my ds, who was 8, the cream really worked. The thing I would warn you about is the speed with which they fall asleep - I found it quite shocking. They had a folder of certificates that he could choose from and he was looking at it - then he was asleep.

ANd he woke up incredibly quickly too. He was a little drowsy when they brought him back to the ward, but he was eating sausage and chips about an hour later. i think some children can be sick, but ds wasn't, and none of the children in the wartd with him were.

He actually loved it - he still talks about the "special sleep!"

The other thing I would say that you should try to get her to drink as much as you can in the time before the "nil by mouth" rule comes it. Dp did this with our ds, and I really think it helped. He ahad had loads to drink, so he wasn't thirsty in the hot hospital while he waited to go down to theatre.

She will be fine - try not to worry. Easy to say, I know......!

My DS has had lots of GAs so hopefully i can help!

I find if he is being put to sleep with medication through a line or Cannula then it is very relaxed but quite sudden.
She will probably be fine if you are with her and i find it helps to be a bit silly and distract with a tedd y or a toy.

DS is always very clingy and grizzly in recovery and they wont let you in until she is awake but as soon as she comes round you can go to her.

She may drift in and out of sleep for a while afterwards and my be very thirsty as the tube they put in the throat for a GA dries the mouth out.

The cream works well but she still proably wont like having her hand held still for the cannula to go in but again if you can distract her it will be easier.

You will cry when you leave her in the operation room, i do everytime and im a pro! Its the thought of leaving your child when they are vunerable, there is no shame in it and everyone does it!

Take in favourite toys or comforters and something for you to read, eat/drink while you are waiting.

Above all else just remind yourself she is in the safe hgands of people who do operations every single day, she will be fine.

DS is having a GA next Friday so i will be there again!

Thank you so much Seeker and TinselinaBumSquash.

DD has an early slot and we have to have her there by 8am, which means no water/dilute squash after 6.30am. So should I wake her up early to make her have some squash? She always has a bottle of milk as soon as she wakes up so that will be tough. I'm hoping that they won't make her wait too long...

Any advice on dealing with the no drink/food in one so young Tinsel? I hope your DS is Ok next week aswell.

Um not really all i do i calmly tel ds that he is having seeing the 'special sleepy dr' and i will get him whatever he wants to eat or drink when he wakes up. I do make sure he has what ever he wants, he is 6 now and i can guess it will be a McDonalds but when he was yonger he would ask for Yoghurt, Milk or Jucie.

He cries about it but all you can do is distract them and reassure tham that they can eat and drink when they wake up.

DD (four) had a GA a couple of weeks ago and only one of us was allowed in - same as you. DH went in and she sat on his lap, with her arm kind of tucked through his and behind, so that she couldn't see what was going on. I stood and looked through a little window in the door and blew her kisses, pulled faces etc to keep her mind off things. It was hard watching her flake out, ut they invited me in to kiss her once asleep.

The magic cream really does work. I was watching DD and she didn't even notice them putting the canula in. He hands did go red after they had put the cream on, which worried DH a bit but we were reassured this was normal.

Let her take a favourite toy/comforter with her. They let DD keep hers in surgery - which shocked me, as it is affectionately knows as "biohazard Bunny" by DH and myself.

DD was a cryer when she came 'roud - she just wanted me and wouldn't let me leave her side once we were down in recovery with her.

Oh, and be prepared to cry when you leave her. The staff are used to it and told me it's the parents it doesn't affect that they worry about.

Good luck.

Mum of a 12 year old with around 14 operations behind him here (starting when he was 10 days old)!

They should give you age apppropriate instructions for the nil by mouth. Usually its no food or milky drinks after a certain time but can have water later.

They will put the magic cream in several places and then cover it over while it takes effect. Kids veins are tiny so they may have to try a couple of times to get the cannula in. If you can get them to take your DD (and you) into a treatment room for this so that your DD will see the bed as her safe place.

Teddy (or other favouriet toy) can usually go to the anaestetic room too but take it awau with you when your dd is asleep to avoid loss. In our experience operations always take longer than they say so don't panic!

Afterwards will vary depending on your child - ds used to always be sick but last couple of times he wasn't. A wee, drink and food are usually required before you leaave. You should be given care instructions and they will normally prescribe lots of pain relief - DS once had three different type of painkiller dispensed so get them to write it down and to tell you if and when they gave anything.

The staff will answer any questions you have so don't worry. Yes they will be busy but that is ehat they are ther for. If you do not feel ready to leave just stay a bit longer.

Take the "red book" teddy and some nightclothes in case of overnight stay. A book or two or something to play with may help too.

Good luck. It IS worrying but you will cope ans your dd wont be as worried as you are!!

Oopos sorry for all the typos!

no advice on a general, but my dd had to have a canula inserted into her hand for a procedure aged 2.

between the cream, and the nurses' amazing distraction techniques, dd did not even notice it going in. i was but .

Thank you all. Gosh Starfish, sounds like your DS has been through a lot!

She loves her books and her teddybear, so I'll be taking those with me.

Thank you for the advice about asking that we are taken into a treatment room to have the cannula in - I'll try and remember that.

Thank you all so much, I'm feeling a little better about it already!

My DS was about 18 months when he had a general, DP went in with him in the end. He had a mask over his mouth to put him to sleep and then a cannula inserted into his hand once he had gone down.

We were first on the list for his op because of his age (due to a mix up he ended up going 2nd) and he was too confused as to where he was to ask for his milk I think but he was a bit frustrated at being made to wait.

It was actually fine, he only got a bit distressed when he came round and wanted the cannula out and was pulling on it but they needed to keep it in for 10 mins incase he reacted to anything but they had to take it out as he was doing his hand some damage - but your DD might not be such a stubborn thing as my DS! Toys should be a good distraction!

The cream does work. Chances are that your DD wont notice the needle going in. With my DD they had her sat on my lap looking at a toy, and with her arm round my back, so she didnt see or notice anything.

They expect parents to cry when the child goes off to sleep I think.

They aill generally be sleepy when they come back to the ward - they wake them up in the recovery room, but they will tend to go back to sleep, so when your DD is brought back to you she will most likely be noticably drowsy.

With regard to things to say/not say I felt that the best thing was to have a cheery matter of fact approach, as if the whole thing was a pretty exciting day out. It obviously wasnt how I felt, but it meant that DD perceived it positively, and actually enjoyed the day. Because she wasnt aware of the bit when she was asleep there really wasnt anything not to like for her - cheery nurses, get weighed, chat to a doctor, little nap and then some toast and milk.

The only practical tip I can think of would be to choose her clotes as something with a zip or wide neck so you wont squeeze the wound getting her dressed again afterwards.

Good luck.

My daughter (4) is having a general anaesthesic tomorrow.
What happens about them weeing? Should I take a pull up nappy for her?

If she's had nil by mouth for several hours she may not have anything in her bladder.

Ask the nurses when you get there.

My dd had a GA last year ages 2.4 years. They never used any gas, just the canula and tbh, she wasn't calm at all. They did their best to distract her but she was still very upset. It only lasted a few seconds though as they 'go' very quickly - be prepared for that if you're holding her.

We were told to expect her to be off the ward for an hour so we took ourselves off for a drink. We returned to the ward after about half an hour, just as they were bringing her back! I'd have been mortified if we'd not been there.

Our dd was very sleepy and cried a lot when she came round. She slept for about 45 mins but all of a sudden was wide awake and asking for something to eat! After eating, she was running around as normal.

Good luck and hope your dd gets on ok next week.

I didn't ask the nurses in the end but she was OK. I don't think she did a wee in surgery but dribbled on me a bit when she was coming round.

My DS had a GA and op when he was three to remove a cyst from his forehad. My DH went down with him and said it was quite shocking how quickly he went to sleep but for DS it was painless - the cream on the hand is very effective.
As it was a hot day when he had his op and we had been waiting a while they gave him some fluids intavenously.
He didn't wear a nappy, but as he came round it was obvious he needed to go so they helped him out of bed to go to the toilet.
When they brought him out of recovery he was still not really 'with it' so I don't think it bothered him that me and DH hadn't been there. He didn't cry at all, just felt the scar on his forehead with a slightly puzzled air as if wondering how that had got there!
We went home about an hour after he came up. He fell asleep again shortly after getting home, but after that was completely normal.
Although I had worried about the op for weeks beforehand it was actually relatively painless for us all!

DD2 had eye surgery this time last year; she was 5.10.

Due to her condition she is a nightmare to cannulate (get the needle in to) so they did a gas induction and cannulated her once asleep.

I held her on my lap with the face mask on; she got quite squirmy and agitated which is normal, it's the effect of the gas but I cuddled her tightly and it didn't take long before she was out. I gave her a kiss and had a little tear and a sniff as I left but I knew she'd be well looked after.

She was soon back on the ward, awake but sleepy and a little disorientated. I climbed on the bed and cuddled her and she went back to sleep for another hour or so then woke up wide awake and thirsty!

Hope it all goes well for you both

Thank you all so much for your replies. The main problem that we've had up to now is keeping her away from germs! They said that they won't do the op if she's ill, what a time of year to have an op - there's bugs everywhere!

I dropped her off at my SIL's this morning to find that my nephew has an awful cold, but he is still going to school so I'm hoping that she doesn't pick it up. She's teething aswell so we won't actually know if it's a cold or teething because with DD, the symptoms are the same.

But we're nearly there now. Luckily I'm fairly busy at work so it's keeping me distracted and of course DD has no idea about it so is fine!

Thanks again all.

Hi there,

Thank you all so much for your suggestions and advice.

DD had her op on Friday and all went really well. The Nurses and Surgeon couldn't believe how good she was and said that they wished all their patients were as chilled out .

I told them about sitting her on my lap and putting her arm behind me to have the canular put in and they hadn't had anyone do that before and were really impressed - I did confess that it wasn't my idea though and someone on here had suggested it - so thank you!

They brought her back up to the ward an hour later and within 10 minutes, she was drinking juice so they removed the canular. Then she had toast and milk and we all went home. It was great and she was totally fine.

They fixed the eyelid however because of what they've had to do, she will never be able to shut her eye or blink. It's taking some getting used to and she's fine, but it's odd very watching her sleep with her eye open!

Thank you all so much again. I managed not to cry because I think I was so well-prepared. Thank you again. xxx