Cardiac surgery day

Postponements

Whilst all possible planning has been undertaken for your child鈥檚 surgery to proceed, it may be necessary to reschedule the date of surgery if:

  • unexpected, urgent cases need to be fitted into the surgery schedule
  • there may be a lack of beds in the hospital
  • your child may be unwell due to a cold or infection.  

If the surgeon needs to reschedule the surgery, they will choose a new date and notify you promptly. The hospital's booking office will contact you if the surgical date changes before admission and provide a new date. For more discussion on rescheduling, please contact your surgeon's office directly.

Please call the preadmission clinic nurse on (02) 7825 2346 if your child becomes unwell between attending preadmission clinic and their surgery.

Medication

If your child is on any medications, please follow the plan for their medications on the day of their surgery, which should have been given to you by your surgeon, or at Preadmission Clinic  

Fasting

  • Fasting means not eating or drinking for a certain amount of time. 
  • It is very important for your child to fast before surgery. Your child must have nothing to eat or drink (not even a sip of water from the time you are told to fast).  
  • For your child鈥檚 safety, fasting times  must be followed strictly. It is very important that your child鈥檚 stomach is empty before an anaesthetic, to help prevent any life threatening complications. Please make sure you write down these times and follow them exactly. 
  • Failure for your child to fast may result in significant delays to surgery, or even cancellation. 

Where to go

Middleton Day Stay Unit is on level three. A glass lift is on the left-hand side of the main entrance, opposite the Emergency Department. Take this lift up to level three, cross the bridge and follow the signs.

Please be aware rules around visitation in hospital may vary. See our visitor guidelines the most current information.  

Middleton Ward

  • You will be admitted through Middleton Day Surgery Ward by the receptionists and admission paperwork will be finalised. You will then be directed to the waiting room. 
  • A nurse will complete your admission. This includes taking some observations such as weight, temperature, heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation and a general assessment of your child. 
  • The nurse will confirm fasting times and consent. Identification bands are checked and put on your child鈥檚 arm and leg to ensure correct identification.  
  • The process of 鈥榞oing to sleep鈥� and options will be discussed with you and your child. Your child can go to sleep with a vapour anaesthetic via a mask, or your child can have a small plastic cannula inserted into a vein for the anaesthetic to be administered through. If your child chooses to have a cannula, nursing staff can apply cream that will numb the area. 
  • Some patients will be given a premedication. This is usually in the form of a small dose of syrup medicine or tablets. It generally makes the child feel relaxed and a little drowsy so that they feel less anxious about the surgery. 
  • If your child is given a premedication, it is important that they remain in bed to prevent injury while they are drowsy.  
  • The anaesthetist will review the child and discuss any anaesthetic issues and post operative pain medication with parents.  

During surgery

  • Your child will be transferred to Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) or Edgar Stephen Ward (ESW) after surgery.
  • You may be asked to leave your mobile phone number or be given a pager so that the theatre staff can contact you when your child鈥檚 operation is over. 
  • The surgeon or anaesthetist is generally able to give you an idea of how long surgery is likely to take. It is a good opportunity to go for a walk or get something to eat and drink. 
  • If you are given a pager, these have a range of over 50km so you can quite safely leave the hospital if you wish to and you will still receive the message.