Children and Young People’s Surgical Day Unit
This Information leaflet provides you with advice and guidance once your child is safe to be discharged home following removal of metalware.
Managing pain
Your child may experience some discomfort, please give pain relief when required as instructed in the pain leaflet.
- Your child may experience some swelling or bruising around the wound site, this is normal and part of the healing process.
- Your child should remain at home with a responsible adult for 24 hours after a general anaesthetic. After this time, they can return to school or nursery unless you have been told otherwise by a member of the surgical team.
Wound care
- Most children will have sticky dressings on the skin and a bandage over the top.
- Ensure your child’s wound stays clean and dry as directed.
- If a bandage has been applied, this can be removed after 48 hours. Please leave sticky dressings on until instructed to remove them (normally seven to ten days).
- For most children, the stitches used in the surgery will be dissolvable.
Activities
- Your child needs to avoid contact sports (including trampolining, soft play or bouncy castles) for a period of six weeks while the bone heals.
Follow up
If a follow-up appointment is made, please ensure you attend this appointment
- If your child has stitches that need removing, you should be given an appointment for this.
- Where dissolvable stitches are used, occasionally a piece of the stitch may be left outside the skin and the nurse or doctor may need to trim this if it persists more than a few weeks.
Who can I contact for advice?
If you are concerned in any way about your child, please contact us for advice.
- Children and Young People’s Surgical Day Unit
Telephone: 01642 854927
(Monday to Friday, 7.30am until 19.00pm).
Email: [email protected] - Ward 22
Telephone: 01642 854522 (24 hours).
Patient experience
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust would like your feedback. If you wish to share your experience about your care and treatment or on behalf of a patient, please contact The Patient Experience Department who will advise you on how best to do this.
This service is based at The James Cook University Hospital but also covers the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton, our community hospitals and community health services.
To ensure we meet your communication needs please inform the Patient Experience Department of any special requirements, for example; braille or large print.
T: 01642 835964
E: [email protected]
The James Cook University Hospital, Marton Road, Middlesbrough, TS4 3BW.
Telephone: 01642 850850
