For parents
The paediatric surgeon has a role in looking after all patients admitted with a serious injury, even those who do not require an operation. We are the “umbrella” team who helps ensure your child’s medical and surgical care are co-ordinated as often multiple parts of the body may be injured with involvement of multiple specialty doctors and surgeons.
In A&E
A paediatric surgeon is present at the “trauma call” in the A&E department. We are responsible for the initial head-to-toe examination to assess the injured child. We use the information from the examination and imaging (such as x-rays and/ or CT scan) to decide how an injury should be treated. Paediatric surgeons can perform operations on wounds, the abdomen or chest. Other specialist surgeons can be involved in treating other injuries (for example, orthopaedic surgeons fix fractured bones). Doctors and surgeons will help explain to you all the injuries sustained, the treatment required and the recovery process. If your child needs an operation, the surgeon involved will speak to the child’s parents to explain the injury, the operation/ procedure required, the benefits and risks of the operation and the recovery process. Once the information regarding the operation has been taken in by the parent(s), a “consent form” for the procedure is signed by the parent and surgeon. After any operation, the surgeon will explain to you the events of the surgery and will continue seeing your child on a daily basis until discharge from hospital.
On the ward
Surgery is not always required but patient may need to be admitted for close observation to ensure the injured child does not deteriorate in the early stages following the injury. We see all the seriously injured children on a daily ward round for further examination to ensure no injuries are missed. We help co-ordinate care for your child along with our nursing team on the ward. Some seriously injured children require follow up in an outpatient clinic to ensure your child is recovering as expected from the traumatic event from both a physical and mental health perspective.
For children
Paediatric surgeons are doctors who look after all injured children, even those who do not need an operation. If a child needs an operation, a surgeon will be the specialist doctor who performs the operation and looks after you after the operation.
We first meet you when you arrive in hospital and look at all your injuries. We check your body from head-to-toe to make sure nothing is missed. We will explain any injuries to you and how we will look after you. Not all injured children need an operation but you may need to stay in hospital to make sure you are getting better before going home. We see you every day while you are in hospital and sometimes you need to come back to hospital for about 1 hour so we can see you again to check you are fully healed and better.
