Preparing Your Child for Surgery

Parents & Families / Preparing Your Child for Surgery

When a child requires surgery, it can be a difficult time for the entire family. As parents, it is normal to have a lot of questions about how to best prepare your child for the surgical experience. To help, we’ve put together some useful information.

Your child’s cardiologist and surgical coordinator will provide you with specific information on how to prepare for surgery. If you’re traveling to a surgical site from another city or province, they will also provide you with information to help you plan the trip. In fact, your surgical coordinator is the go-to contact for any questions and concerns related to surgery preparation and travel questions.

To help you find the answers you need, we’ve compiled some practical information and resources. If you have any questions, or require additional support, please contact us.

Your Role and Responsibilities

The hospital at which your child is receiving surgery will provide you with pre-op information and will coordinate all scheduling activities. If you’re traveling from another city or province, your referring hospital will collaborate with the surgical hospital to ensure your child’s surgery is scheduled, all information is transferred, etc. Much of this is accomplished through the WCCHN framework.

As a parent, your main job is to help your child get ready for the surgery and plan for any travel that might be needed. While this can be a lot to manage, it is important to understand that you are not alone. There are people and resources you can access for support.

Hospital-Specific Information

Children requiring cardiac surgery in Western Canada are usually referred to one of two hospitals: BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver BC, or the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton AB. For each of these surgical sites, we’ve set up dedicated pages that will help you get ready for surgery and/or travel if you’re coming from a different city or province. On these pages, you can also find important contact information and even a photo tour of the hospital to help you and your child become familiar.

Information for Stollery

Information for BC Children’s

Additional Resources

If you have specific questions about your child’s surgery and/or any related travel, contact your surgical coordinator. You can also refer to the following resources:

Packing Tips

Financial Planning Tips

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