Help! Pre op screening??? surgery jan 8

[frankiesmom]

Please help. I've been trying to get info on what I need to do for frankie's pre op screenings....
I will leave alot of the torture out-but it has been metal torture.
I've asked the cs office what do I need to do they had said he was ready_jan 8 is surgery....
Then my sister went to donate blood and he wasn't in system...
Then his dad went to donate blood and they said he needs blood cross and type (this was the fri 23rd at 4pm) Then fortunately I had off yesterday I called and they said I need to bring him in for blood testing-of course I was sent to the wrong place....finally got where I had to go-downstairs from cs office-no paperwork. Go up to flip out get paperwork and ask what other screening I need-I get the he should be ok-but I just need a paper signed by pediatrician he's in good health_now I asked 5 times what I need and no mention of this-but anyway I take the form and will bring him to the pediatrician next week... Did anyone else get preop screening???-Any chest xrays?????? Starting to freak!!!

[MikenAustinsMommy]

It sounds like the coordinators for the surgery aren't doing their job very well. I think that a preop screening is normal, Austin had his the Monday before his surgery (which was on a Friday). We did have to run around and get the OK from his pediatrician, and also do the 3D CT Scan (Austin was diagnosed on visual and feel alone. They needed the 3D to map out the incisions they made). Austin did not get a chest XRay, but they did listen to his lungs. The week prior to his surgery we made an appointment to donate blood for Austin and get his blood typed. My husband and I were unable to donate (thanks to a trip to Belize), but we were able to get friends with the same blood type as Austin in there to donate. The hospital did have every type of blood on hand from other donors... At this point in time I'm not sure why we had to have the blood from someone we knew, other than I was trying to control everything that I could because I didn't want to feel out of control (make sense?).
We did also get a tour of the hospital the day before surgery. It helped us to become familiar with where the bathrooms were and the cafeteria. We also found out that day that only 1 parent was allowed to sleep next to Austin, we had been told both of us could every time we asked the surgeons.

Hang in there, we are here for you

Take Care,

[c0urtnee]

Please help. I've been trying to get info on what I need to do for frankie's pre op screenings....
I will leave alot of the torture out-but it has been metal torture.
I've asked the cs office what do I need to do they had said he was ready_jan 8 is surgery....
Then my sister went to donate blood and he wasn't in system...
Then his dad went to donate blood and they said he needs blood cross and type (this was the fri 23rd at 4pm) Then fortunately I had off yesterday I called and they said I need to bring him in for blood testing-of course I was sent to the wrong place....finally got where I had to go-downstairs from cs office-no paperwork. Go up to flip out get paperwork and ask what other screening I need-I get the he should be ok-but I just need a paper signed by pediatrician he's in good health_now I asked 5 times what I need and no mention of this-but anyway I take the form and will bring him to the pediatrician next week... Did anyone else get preop screening???-Any chest xrays?????? Starting to freak!!!


trust me, but unfortunately i know how you feel.
Jack's preop is jan 9th, and now you have me worried. no mention was made of an okay from the pediatrician -- guess I better call. (Why do they get paid and we do all the work!?!?!?!!) yeah, the doc told me to go to the blood bank the day before, turns out, they are freaking out saying i should be there now.
its a mess.
soon enough it will all be over.

Good luck to you!

[frankiesmom]

Courtnee,
They did tell me the blood donors need to give blood from 42 days prior to 9 days prior so they could check the blood. My sister gave last wed, and they still don't have the results that the blood is in fact fine. If they actually gave you a pre op date then you probably don't need to get ok from the pediatrician-but check to be sure...argh

Good luck to you as well

Thanks heather- we did have the cat scan a while back. so at least I know that is done. And I had three donors so I think the blood thing is done.
Made an appt w/pediatrician for next wed...
Hoping that's it until the day.....

[craniomommynbaby]

Goodness! It does sound like someone needs to be better organized in that office. I cannot remember our details, but I remember some things. We did have to take Simon to his pediatrician for blood typing. Once that was done, we did paperwork with the blood bank to let them know that people were coming in for directed donations. This was a couple of weeks before the surgery. The blood was donated a week before the surgery. I took him to the hospital within that week for the pre-op stuff. Chris took Simon in for a surgeon appointment the day before. They checked him over and gave us shampoo and stuff. The surgeon's office told us everything we needed to do and even gave us the maps to the hospital for check-in. We had been to the hospital before for the CT scans, but it was nice to know what to do before that morning.
Those last few days are very stressful. Try to relax and spend some quality time with your little one and the rest of your family. It will be over before you know it, and you will come out of this feeling like you can get through just about anything else that life may throw at you.

[Matthews Mommy]

WOW, they are really out of it! All you need is medical clearance from the doctor. The NS office is supposed to schedule the pre-op testing at their facility. When you go they will take blood from you and the baby, that same week you can go to donate blood they should provide all the information as to were you need to go. Then they will explain if all is well to have surgery, and if there are any incompatibilities in the blood. Explain to your pediatrician that this has been time consuming, worrisome, and confusing maybe they can clear things up. Good Luck. :hugg

[c0urtnee]

kay, now Im starting to freak out a little bit. See, none of this was mentioned. Guess its time to leave ANOTHER message with the nurse -- since the doctor forwards all my emails to the nurse anyways. ARGH this is soooooo stinking frustrating!!! SOme doctors are NOT cut out to be in a social field of work at ALLL!!!! PLEASE PRAY I GET THROUGH THIS WITHOUT HURTING HIM!!! hahaha He just drives me insane.
Honestly though, I wouldnt go with this doctor if I didnt trust his ability. I just have to continuously remind myself to think logically - not emotionally.
its hard!

[Melissa]

This all sounds way out of the ordinary to me. Here at our hospital, when you go for pre-op, you start out in the CS's office - they do an H&P (health & physical), listening to the lungs, taking temp, asking questions about recent health, explain the surgery and have you sign the consent forms. Then you go down to the pre-op testing area and they take blood pressure, weight, height, and you speak to the anesthesiologist. You can ask questions, discuss issues from past history or family history (probs w/anesthesia, etc), they make sure that you understand the surgery, and they listen to the lungs again. Sometimes we've been sent for blood-draws, sometimes not. We've never done the directed donation since we have a different blood type and don't know anyone with the same type. Then the nurse gives you a time to be there, the map, etc. Oh, and you also have to talk to the guys in Financial - which pretty much sucks. Here you are worrying about your child and all of a sudden you have to worry about the money and talk to someone who is pretty much a number cruncher with little emotion. BTW, we've never had to get an ok from the pediatrician - I guess that's something different with other hospitals. Or someone at the CS's office just gives him a call or something - I just know WE have never had to do anything.

Good luck...

[bloom_ss]

Our daughter has surgery on January 8th also...now I am starting to get a little worried. She has her pre-op appointment at the hospital on the 5th, but no one said anything about getting approval from the pediatrician. I think I will call them on Tuesday and find out for sure. I would hate to get all the way to the hospital and then have to run all they way back to the pediatrician's office (it's a 45 minute drive one way so driving there and back would take us an hour and a half).

I hope you get everything sorted out soon, and I will be praying that everything goes well for you on the 8th. =)

~Stephanie

[c0urtnee]

I would like to add the following:
After reading this post i got quite concerned -- so I called
My NS does not need/want a clearance from the pediatrician. He says there is no need for it.
However, my pediatrician, since he is aware of problems that the NS is not, wants to have his own pre-op appointment. I think this is mainly because ever since Jack had 'croup' his ears have not cleared up. He started his 3rd med today -- if this one doesnt clear it up, he will call the hospital and have an ENT insert tubes in his ears during the cranio surgery.

I hope all is and will be well with both of you!!
We are all about to go through the same thing. I dont know about yall (im in alabama hehe) but Im definitely ready to get this over with. Jack's head gets worse looking every week and Im ready to get past this and move on and just KNOW that he is okay.
After the surgery pray that there is nothing else they see wrong with him.
The tubes for his ears makes me wonder if we should see a geneticist concerning syndromes. (because they also suspect a defect in the flap in your throat).

Best wishes!!!!!

[plukids]

We did need a history and physical with our pediatrician to be done no sooner than one week prior to surgery to be sure Sylvie was not ill and was physically well for surgery. She had blood work the day prior to surgery for type and cross and a general cbc (again to be sure she was well and wbc's were not elevated, no anemia etc...) We did do directed donation and that was done the week prior to surgery. Blood bank said they needed the week for processing and to be sure the blood would be ready. The NS office set everything up for us and basically said call here for your appointments for blood work and here for directed donation and have the H & P faxed to us at this number. That was it.

Now my 6 year old had surgery in November and his surgeon said there was NO need for an H & P. He said that he is qualified to do the H & P himself on the day of surgery. We also had NO blood work prior to surgery. It was a definite less risk surgery than cranio though still under general anesthesia. He had an epigastric hernia repair.

I think that the surgical coordinator should have better prepared you for surgery. One more thing that I did prior to surgery was call my insurance company to precertify the surgery. The surgeon's office may have called but be sure so you get the best coverage.

Good luck and keep us posted! ((HUGS)) to you!! I'll be praying for you guys!!

[DANA]

The Approval From The Pedi Is Just A Physical. Its No Big Deal. Elizabeth Had To Have One And Labs Drawn. She Had An Mri Earlier In Her Diagnosis. We Did It All The Day Before Her Surgery.

Also We Tried To Have People Donate Blood For Her But Our Blood Centers Told Us We Needed And Order From Her Pedi And There Was Like A Hundred Dollar Fee Per Unit To Hold For Her. So We Did Not Do It.

Good Luck

[frankiesmom]

Thank you all, it's alot easier to share your anguish with people who understand and when possible shed some light in the dark areas.
Stephanie- I wish you and your daughter all the best as well, she will be in my prayers that day as well.

xoxo to everyone