Sunday Pre-operative Tour

Pediatric surgery can cause a lot of anxiety for both patients and their families. To help calm those fears, the Child Life Department at Dell Children’s provides a Pre-operative Tour every Sunday.

The Pre-operative Tour is a hands-on teaching program for children and their families who are scheduled for surgery or for a procedure with sedation at Dell Children’s.

During the tour, a Child Life Specialist introduces the family to the procedure or the medical equipment children may see on the day of their surgery and also explains the sequence of events for the day. Families tour the waiting room, check-in area, operating room and recovery room. (Touring these areas depends on room availability.)

Research indicates that preparation has tremendous benefits for pediatric patients and their families that include:

Reduced anxiety
Positive post-operative childhood adjustment
Feelings of self-efficacy
Increased knowledge and understanding
Enhanced coping

Preparation also benefits healthcare providers by fostering cooperation and trust, which may in turn:

Decrease the time needed for anesthesia induction
Decrease recovery time
Decrease procedure time

For tour dates, times or to make a reservation, call the Surgery Child Life Specialist at (512) 324-0146.