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To help you with the postoperative care
of your child, please read this to answer some common
questions associated with the post-operative care.
What and when can my child eat after
surgery?
Unless otherwise instructed by your
surgeon, your child may resume their normal diet. Occasionally,
a child may experience some nausea or a temporary decrease
in appetite early in the post-operative period. If this
should happen, start your child with a bland or light
diet and advance to a regular diet as tolerated. If feeding
intolerance persists to the second post-operative day
contact your pediatric urologist.
Should I limit my child's activity?
Unless otherwise instructed by your
surgeon, you should limit those activities that you can
control. This is particularly true for older children
who may have participated in certain physical activities
before surgery, (e.g. karate, gymnastics, cheerleading
or organized and competitive team sports) Children should
not participate in those activities for at least 3 weeks
after surgery. Do not worry about daily activities (climbing
stairs, walking, running, etc.) Early on in the post-operative
period, your child will self limit themselves.
When can my child return to school?
When your child has resumed his/her
normal level of activity they can usually return to school.
What can I give my child for pain?
Depending on the procedure your child
underwent, you will usually be given a prescription for
pain medication. Please follow the instructions listed
on the prescription. Routinely, we use Tylenol with codeine
elixir for young children or Tylenol #3 or Percocet for
older children. This is usually required for the first
24-48 hours post-operatively. If your child does not require
or need this medication then Tylenol (acetaminophen) or
Motrin (ibuprofen) may be used. If using these over-the-counter
medications please follow the directions on the container.
Note the infant drops formulation is more concentrated
than the pediatric liquid.
How should I care for the operative site?
Unless otherwise instructed by your
surgeon, the operative site needs no dressings other than
steri-strips (paper strips). These strips usually fall
off after 10-14 days. If they have not fallen off, they
will be removed at your first post-operative visit. If
your child had a circumcision or minor penile operation
we routinely place a xera-form gauze dressing (yellow
gauze) on the penis and cover this with coban (brown tape).
We ask that you remove this dressing on the second post-operative
day. Sometimes you may need to soak the child in a tub
to loosen the dressing. If your child had a hypospadias
repair we will review with you how to care for the dressing
the day of the surgery.
When can my child take a bath or swim?
Unless your child had a hypospadias
repair, your child should sponge bathe for the first 48
hours after surgery, on the third day they may bathe in
the tub or shower. We usually like to have children wait
at least a week before swimming. If your child had a hypospadias
repair we will review bathing instructions the day of
surgery.
When should I schedule my child’s
follow-up appointment?
You will be instructed on the day of
surgery when to schedule your follow-up appointment. Notify
your pediatric urologist if you notice wound : redness,
bleeding, weeping, drainage, fever > 101.5 inability
to consol your child, feeding intolerance.
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