What to expect at your child's Eye Care appointment
What to bring
Please make sure to bring the following to your child’s eye care
appointment:
Insurance information and any required co-payment for the visit
List of medications that your child takes, both prescribed and over the
counter, to include the name, dosage, frequency, and how long your child
has been on the medication
Any eye glasses that have been prescribed
Snacks, books, or toys – please be prepared for the initial appointment
to be 2-3 hours
Your child’s eye examination
After you and your child are escorted to an examination room, our team will:
Obtain a full medical and surgical history of your child and any family
history of eye conditions or eye disorders
Review your child’s medication list
Check your child’s vision using an eye chart
Possibly put drops in your child’s eye to dilate your child’s
pupils. This allows our team to check the health of the retina, lens and
optic nerves. Please note that dilation usually takes about 30 -40 minutes
after the child gets the drops.
Check that eye pressures are normal
Use a slit lamp to check the surface of the eye.
What to expect at your child’s eye surgery
Before your child’s surgery
After you and your child’s clinical team agree that eye surgery is
the best option to treat your child’s eye condition, our team will:
Contact the family to schedule a date and time for the surgery
Obtain precertification/ prior authorization from the insurance company,
if needed
Share instructions about surgery including when your child should stop
eating and drinking prior to the anesthesia
On the day of surgery
Parking and Arrival - When you arrive at Children’s Hospital, please park in the garage
and cross Henry Clay Avenue either on the street level or on the skybridge.
Proceed to The Surgical Center which is located on the 2nd Floor of the
main concourse.
Checking-In – After you arrive at the Surgical Center, you and your child will
be escorted to one of the 42 private rooms on the Same Day Surgery Unit.
Your child will change into a hospital gown and the nurse will take vital signs.
Consents for Surgery - The patient and family will meet with the surgeon and the anesthesiologist
and sign all consent forms if not previously signed.
Pre-surgical Medication - Prior to your child moving to the operating room, your child will receive
a medication by mouth that will help your child relax. Once the medication
is taken, the child should remain in the bed.
During Surgery – Parents and caregivers should stay in the surgical area so that
the nurses can give updates about the surgery. If you decide to go for
a walk or go to the cafeteria, please notify the hospital staff.
After Surgery – After the procedure, your child will go to the Post-Anesthesia
Care Unit (PACU) to allow the patient to fully wake up from the anesthesia.
Once the child is awake, the parents or caregivers will be escorted to
the PACU to be with the child. The child will return to the Same day Unit
until ready to be discharged later that day or will be transferred to
the acute care floor if the child will need to stay overnight in the hospital.
