No parent ever wants to hear their child will need to have surgery – whether it’s a routine procedure that only takes minutes or it’s something more serious. That’s why the Department of Surgery goes out of its way to make the surgical experience at Texas Children’s a good one for patients as well as their families.
The department’s most recent effort to ensure a positive surgical experience is had by all is a video for parents that talks about what to expect when their child has surgery at Texas Children’s. The video, available in English and Spanish, covers eating and drinking instructions, what to bring to the hospital and what parents will experience while their child is in surgery.
After doing more than 25,000 surgical procedures each year, we know parents need to be prepped for surgery just as much as their children do. We hope this video helps parents who are going through that process.
“Our goal in the Department of Surgery is to have our patients and their families prepared as well as possible for the surgical experience,” Chief of Plastic Surgery Dr. Larry Hollier said. “Setting appropriate expectations is crucial to patient satisfaction. This surgical video covers all important issues pertinent to the patient’s arrival, registration, surgery, and discharge.”
Other efforts the Department of Surgery has made to enhance the surgical experience for patients and families at Texas Children’s include:
- Pre-surgery paperwork have been streamlined to lessen parent’s preparation load before they bring their child in for surgery.
- A greeter program has been implemented to help patients and their families more easily find our surgical admission areas. Greeters wearing blue vests are positioned at various entrances of the West Tower, the Abercrombie Building and the Clinical Care Center to help guide surgical patients to such locations.
- Colorful, kid-friendly animal signage has been posted inside and outside the elevators, lobby, hallways and connecting bridges at the Clinical Care Center and the West Tower to improve navigation to the surgical suites at those locations.
All of these efforts have been based on feedback from parents, something the Department of Surgery is always eager to hear. While taking care of our patients is our top priority, we like to take care of their parents too.