Common Questions Before Surgery

When having surgery or anesthesia, it is important that your child is in the best possible health. If your child has a new illness, or a flare-up of an old condition around the time of a planned surgery, sometimes the safest practice may be to delay the procedure until he/she is back to a normal state of health. 

Don’t assume that surgery will be delayed if your child is sick. If the procedure is urgent or the illness is related to the surgical problem, then it might be best to go ahead with the surgery as planned. 

Contact the surgeon’s office or clinic as soon as you think your child might be getting sick. If the procedure is coming up in the next few days, contact the Surgery Clearinghouse nurses, at (816) 855-1841. They can help determine if the illness will cause a delay in surgery. 

If your surgery is cancelled, contact the surgeon’s office or clinic to reschedule. Pre-operative testing will usually not need to be repeated.

Examples of conditions that may delay surgery include:

• Cold or sinus infection within two weeks before surgery

• Pneumonia or bronchitis within a month before surgery

• Stomach virus or flu

• Fever

• Asthma attack or wheezing within two weeks before surgery

• Diabetes severely out of control

• Infected skin or rash in the area of surgery

• Generally not feeling as well as usual

Contact the surgeon’s office or clinic if you need to reschedule the surgery date. If the procedure is coming up in the next few days, contact the Surgery Clearinghouse nurses, at (816) 855-1841.

Contact the Pre-op Call Center (Surgery Clearinghouse) at (816) 855-1841 for general questions about anesthesia or what happens on the day of surgery. If you have questions about the procedure, contact your surgeon’s office or clinic.

If you are running late on the day of surgery and will not be able to arrive at the scheduled time, please call the Same Day Surgery front desk as soon as possible:

Children's Mercy Adele Hall Campus
(816) 234-3534

Children’s Mercy Hospital Kansas
(913) 696-8107

Acceptable clear liquids include water, apple juice, Sprite, Pedialyte or Jello with nothing added. Chicken broth and/or bouillon are not clear liquids. Fruit juices have varying pulp (solid) content and are not good choices for pre-operative preparation. Talk to the Surgery Clearinghouse nurses if you have questions about what your child may have to eat and/or drink on the day of surgery.

The Surgery Clearinghouse is part of the Surgical Services department. Two business days before your child's scheduled surgery, a nurse will contact you about when to arrive to the hospital, and give you instructions about eating and drinking before the procedure. Their goal is to prepare patients and families for the day of surgery by giving instructions, answering questions, and resolving any issues that could delay or cancel the procedure. It is important to provide current contact information when scheduling the surgery. A nurse from the Pre-op Call Center will call you about a week before the procedure to:

• Confirm the date and location of the surgery

• Ask about your child’s health, medications, activity, and any recent exposure to illnesses

• Address your questions and concerns

During this time, feel free to ask any questions or express concerns you have about the upcoming surgery. The day before your child’s scheduled surgery (or Friday for a Monday surgery), a nurse will contact you about when to arrive to the hospital, and will give you instructions about eating and drinking before the procedure. Have a pen and paper handy to write down these instructions. It’s important you follow these instructions carefully and arrive on time. If you miss the call, you can contact the Clearinghouse nurses at (816) 855-1841.