Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota
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Pre-surgery program

On Mondays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Children’s - Minnetonka hosts an informative pre-surgery program for patients, siblings, and their parents to help them understand and learn about what to expect before, during, and after surgery.

The program includes a tour of the facility, a chance for children to learn and explore through medical play, and an opportunity for parents to meet with staff to get their questions answered.

Knowing what to expect makes anesthesia, surgery, and recovery less stressful for the whole family. Each program has a Child Life Specialist who presents information about a child’s surgery in an age-appropriate manner. Even children who have had a previous surgery are still encouraged to attend the program.

 


Outpatient pre-surgery coloring book

Studies show that attending a pre-surgery program reduces anxiety and fear, decreases pain after surgery, and reduces recovery time and complications. Having a positive surgery experience helps increase coping skills for future health care situations.

Pre-surgery program reservation

Please call (952) 930-8700 to make reservations or for more information. Tour reservations are recommended but not mandatory. You may also visit our Planning for Surgery page to register online for an upcoming pre-surgery tour at Children’s - Minnetonka.

Dates may change for holidays; during bad weather, please call ahead to confirm our program schedule.

Pre-surgery video tour

From our Web site you may also access online pre-surgery videos. Our video for parents provides first-hand information from parents of children who have had surgeries at Children’s of Minnesota. A pre-surgery video for teens shows a question-and-answer style conversation among several teens and adolescents who have had surgery here. Visit the Pre-Surgery Video page to watch either video.