tips for preparing 4yr old for operation to remove adenoids and put grommets in

[cookiemonstress]

Hi
Was wondering if anyone has any tips to help me prepare 4yr dd1 for operation to have adenoids removed and grommets put in?

Was referred to ENT on account of 'large' tonsils. Tonsils since established as not being problematic despite size but has been confirmed that she has glue ear and hearing difficulties.

I'm waiting for a date to be sent through for an operation and I'm wondering how best to prepare dd1. She doesn't yet know and the problem that i have is that she is largely unaware that she has these problems, luckily ear infections not that often. So how do i explain what's going to happen to her and when is a good time to start explaining?

Usborne do a lovely book in their First Experiences range called ' Going to the Hospital'. I used it for my dd1 when she was 3 and having eye surgery, she loved it and I had to read it every night for four weeks!!!!

She is 6 now and still asks if she can have another operation as she loved the toast she got afterwards.

My son had the same op at 3 and half years old. We got a book from the library about going into hopsital. Even so I am not sure how much my son understood.

The biggest challenge was not giving him breakfast before the op, although they operate on the youngest children first.

I suggest you make a pack lunch for yourself with a few special treats for your child. Although your child may not want to eat. We also gave my son a small present when he came round from the op.

My son went home just after lunch and recovered really quickly. The most important thing is to keep water out of the ears. You will be told not to take your child swimming for at least six weeks, but its unrealistic not to wash your child's hair for six weeks. We used putty ear plugs.

putty budies

Hi
Thanks for responses. Really useful Reallytired, did you find the operation made a big difference?

My dd has had several operations and she was allowed to bring her favourite doll/teddy with her and her doll always got same bandages etc as her

The operation made a massive difference. My son learnt to speak soon after the op! Removing his adenoids really improved his general health.

Unfortunately the grommets came out after 8 weeks and he had a lot of problems with ear infections and the hole did not heal for 9 months. However this only happens to 1 in 100 children.

To avoid complications you need to be really obcessive about keeping the ears dry.

My 4yr old DS is having his tonsils and adenoids out in early July and I've recently dug out out copy of the hospital book mentioned here. We've not read it yet as it may be too soon but he knows he gettig his tonsils out but obviouslt got no clue about what it means and that it will be sore! I think we have a hospital visit beforehand where they'll show him where he will stay and talk about what will happen. Hopefully you will have the same?

Hi, my 3.5 DS had the exact thing done last week. He had enormous adenoids which were removed, and the gromits put in. he has never complained before about the hearing, but now he comments at least once a day 'i can hear things Mummy' which is fab. Yes, there is that osbourne book, Mum sent it over but it didnt arrive in time. I just tried to explain that the Dr was going to make his ears better, I got a special toy for him to wake up to after the op, but to be honest, it went so smoothly, ie in at 8am, out at lunchtime - AFTER he asked for (and ate) a huge lunch!! He slept most of the afternoon, and then next day was right as rain. Only Calpoll'ed him once, on the first day. He has earplugs for the bath, for his 'special ears' which he chose the colour of. You might be surprised at how well your Dc copes, I was.. Interesting - they as a rule don't take out tonsils over here (Luxembourg) as it's the first place for a throat infection to 'settle'and they believe if you remove those, the infection moves down the throat into the chest, where an infection is harder to fight. I had thought that Drs stopped taking tonsils out in the 1990s because of this..

i expressed the same concerns with my ds1 having his tonsils removed, but my ent man said they dont actually do much. I have since read exactly that on the internet too.