During or after your surgical appointment you will be given a surgical information pack. This will contain lots of useful information and top tips for your stay in hospital. Also you can download our ‘Katie Bear Goes to Hospital’ guidebook which will help you and your child understand what is going to happen when you come in for surgery.
‘Katie Bear Goes to Hospital’ was created by our clinicians, supported by Children’s Heart Surgery Fund.
Download Katie Bear Goes to HospitalOn the day of the procedure
Here’s what you need to know for the day of your/your child’s procedure.
- You will be admitted to Ward L51 which is our children’s cardiac ward, located on D floor, Clarendon Wing.
- For several hours before the operation your child will need to fast (not eat or drink anything). Your nurse will give you the time your child needs to fast from.
- Your child will need to have a wash and put on pyjamas or a gown.
- So medication can be given in theatre a local anaesthetic cream may be applied to the area where an intravenous drip will be inserted.
- If the anaesthetist feels it is necessary your child may be given medicine to make them sleepy and less worried.
- When it is time for the operation your nurse will accompany you and your child to the anaesthetic room.
- After the operation your child will be nursed on the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) until they are well enough to come back to the cardiac ward (Ward L51).
Within Ward L51 there is a High Dependency Unit (HDU) and this is where your child will be nursed when they leave PICU. For safety reasons parents are not able to sleep by their child’s bedside in HDU so you will have seperate accommodation provided.
Accommodation is provided by Children’s Heart Surgery Fund and they have rooms in another part of the hospital called Brotherton Wing. Alternatively there are rooms provided by The Sick Children’s Trust. They are based in Eckersley House, opposite Clarendon Wing.
Here is a virtual welcome to Ward L51 from Nurse Sarah.
You can find more Leeds Congenital Heart Unit videos including a Ward L51 virtual tour at Leeds Children’s Hospital TV (LCHTV)
Ward L47 – Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
We understand that having a child admitted to the intensive care unit is a stressful time. The information here is designed to help you during your stay. It has practical advice about what to expect and we hope it will help you feel less anxious when visiting your child.
When you arrive at Ward L47 we ask that you report to the nurse’s station. Infection control is very important so we ask that you remove your outer clothing and wash your hands to help stop the spread of infection. There is an area to hang your coat, a water fountain and a parent’s sitting room which has refreshment facilities and a microwave – your nurse will show you where these are located.
Following cardiac surgery, your child may need certain types of equipment to ensure the medical and nursing staff can monitor your child and administer medications safely. We appreciate this can be frightening to see but your nurse will explain what they are for and why they are important for your child’s recovery.
Whilst your child is on PICU, they will have one-to-one care by the nursing staff who will keep you updated of your child’s progress and answer any queries you have. Please feel free to ask the nursing or medical staff any questions as well as the Cardiac Nurse Specialists who will visit during your inpatient stay. Other healthcare professionals such as physiotherapists, dieticians and pharmacists may also be involved in your child’s treatment.
It is normal to feel anxious seeing your child on PICU but there are many things that you can still do for them. Staff will encourage you to participate in the care of your child by helping with tasks such as washing and nappy changes. If you’re not able to do this you can also be a huge help to your child and nursing staff by sitting with your child, talking to them, reading them stories or just holding their hand.
Parents can visit PICU at any time however parents can not sleep there. Accommodation will be provided for you. Other visitors can come in the daytime with a restriction to two people at a bed at any time. To protect vulnerable patients, visiting hours may change and therefore staff will be able to give you up to date information whilst your child is on L47.
Managing your child’s discomfort
Whilst your child is recovering from surgery our aim is to always promote comfort. Hopefully by communicating with the doctors and nurses your child will not experience any pain at all but will at times feel some discomfort.
After the operation when your child wakes up, they are often quite drowsy due to the anaesthetic and the pain relief being given. If your child experiences any pain it is very important that you inform the nurses, this way they can adjust the pain relief being given to make them comfortable. If necessary, the nurses may ask the specialist Pain Team to advise.