Beyond Surgery: The Importance of Holistic Post-Operative Care for Children

What is Pediatric Post-Surgery Care

Pediatric post-surgery care simply means helping a child heal safely after an operation. 

This postoperative care includes:

• Taking medicines as prescribed
• Keeping the wound clean and dry
• Giving plenty of rest
• Paying attention to signs of infection or pain
• Following the doctor’s advice for food and activity

Parents must stay calm, comfort their child, and attend all follow-up visits to track healing and prevent complications.

Paediatric Post-Surgery Care

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) has been increasingly applied in Paediatric Surgery Post-surgery care.

Read Also: Post-Operative Care for Children: A Step-by-Step Recovery Guide

Dr. Satej Shankar Mhaskar Take on Post-Operative Care for Children

Dr. Satej Shankar Mhaskar is a highly trained Paediatric Surgeon and Paediatric Urologist. He has extensive experience in India and the United Kingdom. According to Dr. Satej, ERAS is a modern approach that helps children recover faster after surgery. 

ERAS focuses on:

1. Reducing stress on the body.
2. Minimising complications through well-planned post-surgery care plans.

He says teamwork makes recovery easier. ERAS is a team effort that involves

1. Nurses
2. Paediatric surgeons
3. Physicians
4. Physiotherapists
5. Pain management experts
6. Nutritionists
7. Psychologists

ERAS is based on the following points for faster child post-surgery recovery:

1. Early Mobilisation After Child Surgery

• Instead of long bed rest, it involves early mobilisation (gentle movement) and physiotherapy assistance.
• This reduces postoperative complications like chest infections and venous thrombosis.

2. Nutrition Post-Paediatric Surgery for Healing

• Special consideration is given to nutrition. It is usually accomplished by instituting early feeding after surgery by following set protocols to initiate feeding at the earliest possible opportunity. 
• It helps in avoiding prolonged periods of starvation and lack of nutrition. 
• If a child cannot eat normally, doctors plan for Intravenous (IV) or tube feeding (parenteral nutrition) to ensure they still get the nutrients they need.

3. Emotional Support for Children After Surgery

• The role of a clinical psychologist is invaluable for children who have a prolonged hospital stay and a stormy hospital course. 
• Clinical psychologists provide support to both the child and their family to help them cope with anxiety and stress during recovery.

Dr. Satej Shankar Mhaskar highlights that with a structured approach like ERAS and multidisciplinary postoperative care/strong teamwork, postoperative recovery for young ones can be smoother, safer, and quicker. This helps them get back to being their vibrant selves sooner.

Why is Early Feeding Important After Paediatric Surgery

Early feeding post-surgery in children provides the following benefits:

1. Early feeding supports the early working of a child’s gut. This speeds up digestion and bowel movements for better and faster recovery.
2. It lowers the risk of infections and other possible complications by maintaining a healthy and active gut.
3. Starting food early reduces the child’s hospital stay.
4. It helps in healing and strengthens the child.
5. It also decreases the chances of surgical complications such as leaks or delayed recovery.

What are the Benefits of Holistic Post-Operative Care for Children

ERAS (Enhanced Recovery After Surgery) methods hold importance because they offer the following benefits:

1. More Rapid Healing

It promotes the body’s natural cell repair for faster healing.

2. Improved Immunity

Support the child’s immune system in fighting infections and reducing other complications.

3. Better Pain Management

This combines medicines and other pain management methods to ease pain gently and effectively.

For example:

• Minimally invasive surgical approaches are used.
• Opioids may be used for moderate to severe pain.
• Using heat or ice packs.
• Using age-appropriate distraction methods like music, television, or video games.

4. Emotional Assistance

Emotional support for children after surgery helps lower fear and anxiety in children to make the child feel safe and cared for.

5. Right Nutrition

Early feeding after Paediatric surgery provides the child with the right nutrients at the right time to strengthen and heal faster.

6. Early Movement/Mobilisation

ERAS focuses on gentle activity/mobilisation to regain strength, coordination, and independence.

7. Better Mood

It encourages a child to engage in the right therapy, play, and paediatric rehabilitation after surgery. This helps release happy hormones and improve mood and motivation to recover.

List of Paediatric rehabilitation after surgery:

• Physical Therapy
• Occupational Therapy
• Speech and Language Therapy
• Recreational Therapy
• Educational Services

8. Personalised Care

Addresses the unique physical, emotional, and developmental needs of each child for the best outcomes.

Conclusion

It can be difficult for a child to understand why the surgery is needed and its complexities. That’s why, as a parent, it is your responsibility to help your child easily understand doctors’ advice. You should also have to have the full knowledge about Paediatric post-surgery care to help guide your child better. This ensures they follow all instructions for a smooth and safe recovery.

Here are Paediatric Surgery Recovery Tips

1. Strictly follow the doctor’s guidelines
2. Give pain medicines exactly as prescribed (not more or less)
3. Encourage your child to take rest and sleep
4. Hold your young child in your lap, if possible
5. Develop a Comfortable Recovery Space
6. Encourage them to eat and drink healthy food items.

When to Consult a Paediatric Surgeon in Mumbai

Contact your doctor at Surya Hospitals right away if you see the following signs in your child after surgery:

1. Unexpected high fever
2. Unexplained discharge at the surgical site
3. Extreme pain away from the surgical site
4. Difficulty and pain in drinking fluids
5. Pain in the abdomen/ vomiting
6. Constant sharp pain
7. Chills, redness, swelling, or discharge from the surgical site