FAQs

Generally, your child's first appointment with the surgeon will involve an evaluation that takes into account their medical history, current symptoms, and an examination of the injured area or region of concern. If X-rays are required, they can be taken the same day. In some cases, additional tests will be recommended and, once authorized, can be scheduled for a later date.

Any relevant medical information, including diagnostic reports and images, will help us better evaluate your child’s condition. If you have these available as digital files, please bring them to your first visit. Additionally, please bring the following:

• Insurance card

• Photo ID

• Outside medical records

• Outside slides with pathology reports
• Referring physician contact information
• Primary care provider contact information

• Pharmacy contact information


Please plan to arrive at least 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment to allow for the registration and insurance verification process. We understand staying on schedule is important to our patients, and your early arrival helps ensure we can see all our patients in the timeliest manner possible.

Insurance policies differ from patient to patient, and coverage will depend on both the procedure and your individual policy. The surgeon’s office will always obtain authorization in advance of any surgical procedure; however, we advise you to speak with your insurance representative to discuss patient responsibility, co-pays and other important coverage details.

If any changes to your child’s insurance coverage are due to take place before or near the date of their surgery, please notify us immediately. Authorization, which can take time, may need to be obtained from your new insurance company. Failure to inform us of these changes could result in the cancellation or postponement of your surgery.

Yes. Generally, there are a number of individuals who can assist you with forms and paperwork. Often, it is best to bring these materials to your surgeon’s office before surgery. Please consult your surgeon for specific instructions.

Surgery is an invasive procedure that carries inherent risk. Prior to obtaining your written consent, your child's surgeon will discuss the surgery's risks, benefits and alternatives with you. Any risks related to anesthesia will be addressed by a member of the anesthesia team. Please speak with your child's surgeon or a member of their team if additional clarification is necessary.

Once the date of the surgery is set, you will need to schedule an appointment with your child's pediatrician for the week before surgery. The purpose of this visit is to ensure that your child is ready for surgery and does not have any colds, viruses, infections or other illness. Following this checkup, please have your pediatrician complete a medical history and physical examination and fax the paperwork to us at 718-920-7799. If possible, please ask your pediatrician for a copy of the completed medical history and physical examination to bring with you on the day of surgery.

Some patients may require preoperative tests, including lab work, a computed tomography (CT) scan or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. Patients undergoing spine surgery may require additional testing and planning. A member of our staff will contact you with all the necessary information well in advance of your child’s date of surgery. If you have not received a phone call or have questions regarding necessary testing for your child, please contact the surgeon's office for details.

In some cases, special accommodations will be required in order to attend school. We generally recommend that you contact the school to inform them of your child's upcoming surgery. It is important to ensure that the school can accommodate your child's needs, such as accessibility for assistive devices, such as a wheelchair or crutches. If your school cannot make these accommodations, they might suggest home-schooling or a temporary transfer to a more accessible school. Please provide our office with any paperwork required by your child's school, as well as the school's fax number. Please allow up to one week for this paperwork to be completed and submitted.

Preparing for your child's surgery can present understandable concerns. To help navigate this process, our Child Life Program offers tours of the hospital tailored to your child's developmental level. The program can also offer guidance on how to prepare your child at home before their procedure, as well as provide you with any other helpful information. Please call 718-741-2360 for more information.

If you think your child will need special equipment, such as a wheelchair or hospital bed, or will require placement in a rehabilitation hospital following surgery, please contact the surgeon’s office a few weeks before surgery to make these arrangements.

Consuming food or liquids prior to anesthesia can be dangerous and, for safety reasons, may result in the postponement or cancellation of your child's procedure. If your child has been instructed to take certain home medications on the morning of surgery, it is safe to do so with a sip of water. Pediatric patients may be allowed to have clear liquids, such as water, up to three hours prior to surgery. Milk and other non-clear liquids cannot be consumed after midnight on the evening before surgery. Please speak with your child's surgeon or a member of their team if additional clarification is necessary.

It depends. There are medications that need to be continued the morning of surgery, and there are medications that must be discontinued. Prior to surgery, our nurses will provide you with specific instructions. Please speak with your child’s surgeon or a member of their team if additional clarification is necessary.

If you have digital files of your child's preoperative imaging, please bring them on the day of surgery. It is also helpful to bring a list of medications your child is currently taking. We also recommend that you and your child bring something to read or occupy yourselves with while you wait.

Yes. Please leave any jewelry, watches or other valuables at home for safekeeping. Although cell phones and clothing are stored in locked storage during surgery, we strongly advise against bringing valuables and other non-essentials to the hospital.

Surgery for all pediatric patients under 14 years of age will take place at Children's Hospital at Montefiore Einstein, which is located at 3415 Bainbridge Ave., Bronx, NY 10467. Ambulatory surgery for patients 14 years of age and older is generally performed at the Hutchinson Metro Campus, located at 1250 Waters Place, Tower Two, Bronx, NY 10461. On the day prior to surgery, the hospital will contact you and provide specific instructions regarding where to go, and when to arrive.

Generally, patients are required to check in one-and-a-half to two hours prior to surgery. The night before surgery, our staff will call to inform you at what time to arrive. If surgery is scheduled for a Monday, you will be contacted on the Friday before surgery. If surgery is scheduled following a national holiday, you will be contacted on the last day the hospital is open before your surgery. If you do not receive a call by 4:00 p.m. on that day, you should contact your surgeon’s office or the Ambulatory Care Registration at 929-263-3477, as directed.

Yes, you may walk your child into the operating room before their surgery and stay until they are asleep.

You may join your child once the operation is complete and your child has been transferred to the recovery room. Generally, parents or caregivers are permitted to stay with their child throughout the recovery period.