How to Talk to Children About Brain Surgery

Being told that your child needs brain surgery is one of the scariest situations many parents will ever face. The situation may be equally terrifying for your child, who does not know what to expect from the procedure. Here are a few things to consider to help you prepare to talk to your child about brain surgery.

Instructions

• 1

  Be sure that you understand your child's condition and the surgical procedure that will be used. Asking questions, reading the printed literature from your child's doctor and doing research online will help. The more confident you are in talking to your child about the brain surgery, the less unsure and frightened he will feel.

• 2

  Talk to your child about the problem the brain surgery will be used to correct. Often the need for brain surgery is discovered after the child has complained of feeling poorly and has been taken to the doctor for an examination. Let him know that his doctor has determined that surgery is the best way to get him feeling better again.

• 3

  Explain the surgical procedure to your child, using age-appropriate terms. Let her know what to expect from the time she is given the anesthesia to the time she wakes up in the recovery room. The less you leave to your child's imagination, the better. At the same time, be sure not to overload your child with technical details or scary-sounding medical jargon.

• 4

  Encourage your child to ask questions. Arrange a time for him to meet with the neurosurgeon, nurses and anesthesiologist before the surgery. He may have concerns such as when and what he can eat after the surgery, how he should expect to feel when he wakes up and how long he will have to stay in the hospital.

• 5

  Schedule an appointment with the hospital counselor, child life specialist or social worker if your child is still struggling with the idea of her upcoming surgery. These specialists are trained to help children understand and acclimate to the idea of surgery and may use toys, crafts or role-playing to help your child share her feelings and concerns.