If your child has a fever, diarrhoea, wheezing, or vomiting in the days leading up to surgery, please call us. We’ll let you know if we need to delay their surgery or if there’s other treatment they may need.

Call our booking office on 07 3068 1125 between 7 am and 5 pm, Monday to Friday.

If you’re running late on the day of your appointment, please call our surgical admission lounge on 07 3068 1790.

Talking to your child about surgery

Explaining what’s going to happen in hospital can help your child feel more comfortable and less anxious.

Our operating theatre and day surgery video shows what to expect when you're having an operation. You can show your child what an operating room looks like and who will be in the room with them.

There is more information how to talk to your child about their surgery at the EPIC website.

To also help your child understand and prepare for their operation read Jilly's big sleep.

Duration: 04:51

There are lots of reasons why you may need to visit the hospital. Some of you may have had an accident or have been hurt. Some of you may have been feeling sick for a while and need some special medicine to help you feel better. And some of you may need an operation to get your body better. But no matter what the reason, our doctors and nurses are here to help you feel better and get home soon.

If you are coming to have an operation, there are a few things you should know. Before you arrive, make sure you have a good shower and wash your hair.

You also won't be able to eat or drink before your operation. This is called fasting. The nurses will make sure you have all the information you need before you come.

You should also have a good think about what you'd like to bring to hospital. There are the basics, like toiletries, toothpaste, toothbrush and deodorant. But you may also bring some things to keep you entertained, such as books or games. You may also want to bring something comfortable to wear. Joy is going to walk us through what will happen next.

When you arrive at the hospital, you'll first make your way to the surgical admissions desk on level 4. This is where you'll be checked in for your surgery or procedure, and see your nurse or doctor before your operation. First, you'll speak with the reception staff, who will prepare your admission paperwork for your carer to fill out.

Make sure you have your appointment letter with you. Once you're checked in, the next stop is the surgical admissions lounge, where the staff will call your name when they're ready for you.

Once you're waiting in the surgical admissions lounge, you can get changed into something comfortable, like your pyjamas. Here, lots of special people will come to meet you to make sure everything's in place for your procedure. The good news is that when you're here for your procedure, you can have one parent or carer stay with you the whole time until you get into the operating theatre.

A nurse will come to see you to ensure you are healthy. for your procedure. They'll want to learn more about you and check things like your heart rate, blood pressure and temperature. Don't worry, none of these things hurt at all. The next person that will see you is the anaesthetist. That's a big word.

But this person will help you go to sleep in the operating theatre. So you don't feel a thing when you're going through your procedure. Your doctor will most likely come and see you as well to check that everything is in order before your surgery or procedure and to answer any questions that you may have.

Sometimes you may have to wait a while before going into theatre, but the waiting room is filled with lots of things to keep you entertained while you wait. The Children's Hospital Foundation volunteers are also there to have fun with you. When it's time to go into the theatre, the staff will move you and one parent or carer to another room, which is called the holding bay.

There will also be Children's Hospital Foundation volunteers here to stay with your carer and help make this part of the process as easy as possible. You may wait here for a short amount of time, while a few final checks are done to make sure everything is safe for you. Here, your parent or carer will also put on some theatre clothes, so they can come with you in the operating room until you go to sleep.

Then it's time to make your way into the operating theatre. It won't take you long to realise that the operating room is full of lots of lights. Special machines that do a lot of beefing and people dressed in very clean clothes called scrubs. These are your nurses and surgeon who will stay by your side to look after you and keep you safe.

You'll climb onto the bed and your anesthetist will give you some sleepy gas through a mask so you don't feel a thing during your operation.

Soon after you're awake and in recovery, your parental carer will be able to come and see you. It's really important that you get plenty of rest and the right care after your surgery or procedure. You'll be taken by a nurse to your ward. where you can have something to eat and drink. If you're going to be in hospital just for the day or staying one night, this is where you'll be.

There will be other patients beside you and there will always be nurses to help if you need anything. As soon as you're ready to go home, the doctor or nurse will let your carer or parent know. If you have any other questions, remember you can find more information on our website, www.childrens.Org.

health.qld.gov au or call us on (07) 3068 1111.

Before surgery

Getting clean

Your child needs to be clean for surgery to reduce their risk of getting an infection. They can have a bath or a shower, but you’ll need to make sure they’ve washed all over using soap.

Make sure you give these areas a good wash.

Areas of the body to clean before surgery

Make sure the following areas are clean because they're often used during surgery for medical procedures.

  • Hair - important if your child is having a head or face operation
  • Chest or tummy area – important if this is where the surgeons will operate
  • Underarms – a moist area where germs can easily grow
  • Elbow crease – a common place for infusions
  • Groin or nappy area – sometimes used for a urinary catheter (thin plastic tube placed in the bladder) after an operation
  • Hands and feet – veins in the hands and feet are often used for giving medications and fluids
  • Belly button – a moist area where germs can grow and sometimes used for keyhole surgery
  • Neck and behind the ears – some children will get fluids or medicine through a vein in the neck

You’ll also need to check your child’s hair for head lice. If you find any, please treat them before going to hospital.

Check your child’s skin

Check your child’s skin for any infections, cuts, and abrasions. This includes things like nappy rash, or a scrape from falling off a bike. Let us know if you find any in case we need to cover them for surgery.

If they have any piercings, jewellery, or are wearing nail polish or makeup, they’ll need to be removed before they go to hospital.

Fasting before a procedure

Fasting makes it safer for the anaesthetist to get your child off to sleep for their procedure.

Fasting means that your child will need to stop eating and drinking for a period of time before their procedure.

Eating

Make sure your child doesn’t eat any food or drink any non-human milk for at least 6 hours before their procedure. This includes eating lollies or chewing gum.

Drinking

Breast Milk

If your baby has breast milk, plan to finish feeding your baby as close to 3 hours before the time of their procedure time as possible. Do not add thickeners.

Infant Formula

If your baby has infant formula, plan to finish feeding your baby as close to 4 hours before the time of their procedure as possible. Do not add thickeners.

Clear Fluids

All children are encouraged to drink clear fluids until you arrive at the hospital. Nursing staff may offer your child more to drink as you wait for their procedure.

The clear fluids your child can choose from are:

  • water
  • clear (pulp-free) fruit juices and cordials such as apple juice
  • non-carbonated drinks such as Powerade or Gatorade
  • clear carbonated drinks such as lemonade
  • ready to mix sugar and electrolyte powders, including SOS, Poly-Joule, Carb Plus and Hydralyte.

Please do not give your child any other type of drinks.

Your child must not eat or drink anything else after you arrive at the admission location, unless this has been allowed by the nursing or medical staff.

Medications

Your child can still take their regular medication with a sip of water or another clear fluid while they’re fasting.

Help with fasting

Fasting can be confusing, so to help you fast properly, one of our nurses will call you the business day before the surgery to help you if you have any questions. They will also give you the approximate time your child’s surgery is booked in for and they will tell you the time when your child needs to start fasting from.

If you have not fasted properly, you may have to wait longer on the day for your surgery, or you have your surgery postponed to another day.

Read more about fasting and why it's important before surgery

What to wear

Dress your child in clean, loose-fitting clothing with no metal buttons or zips. It’s better if they wear a t-shirt and shorts or pyjamas as they’re easier to take on and off. Put something warmer over the top if they need it.

They’ll need to wear shoes inside the hospital.

What to bring

Make sure you bring your hospital admission forms with you.

It’s also a good idea to bring something for them to do, such as a book or colouring in pencils as there’s usually a wait before surgery.

Read more about what to pack for you and your child when you're staying in hospital.

When you get to hospital

Your hospital admission letter will tell you which part of the hospital to go to. When you get there let reception staff know you’ve arrived. We’ll then ask you to fill in your admission forms.

We’ll do some other health checks before surgery, such as taking your child’s blood pressure, heart rate and temperature. You can stay with them while they have these done.

Your child’s clinical team, including the anaesthetist and doctor may then see your child.

Going to theatre

When it’s time for your child’s operation, one parent or carer will be given a gown or clothes to put on to take them into theatre.

During the operation you’ll be able to wait in a parent lounge. We have surgical information boards in the lounges and the hospital food court so you’ll be able to see when their surgery has finished.

One parent may be able to join them in the recovery area afterwards. After recovery, they’ll be moved to a ward.

Read our guide to Caring for your sick child for more information.

Change a booking

Please call us on 07 3068 1125 if you want to cancel a booking or if your contact details have changed.

Last updated: April 2025

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