Caring for Your Child after Hernia Repair
Activity Guidelines
Your child may take part in quiet play. Avoid active play for the first week, such as jumping, wrestling, bike riding, and playing on the playground. Plan rest times for your child.
Dressing Care
Keep the current dressing in place until you return to clinic in 10 – 14 days. If it should fall off during that time, you may leave it off with no further dressing needed. If steri strips (thin, white pieces of tape) cover the incision, leave them on until they peel off on their own. This will happen in about 5 – 10 days.
It is okay to give a sponge bath. Your child may take a tub bath after 5 days. Your child should not swim for at least 1 week.
If your child wears diapers, fold them down and away from the incision. Change the diapers often. Disposable diapers may keep the area dryer. If the incision becomes soiled with urine or stool, gently sponge with soap and plain tap water.
Medicine
Your child may be prescribed pain medicine. For mild pain, you may use plain Tylenol® (acetaminophen). Follow the instructions on the bottle for each of these.
Diet
After a general anesthetic, your child may have nausea. You should first give your child clear liquids such as ice chips, popsicles, 7-Up® or Jell-O®. If these fluids stay down and your child would like to try something else, offer food such as soda crackers, graham crackers, and toast. These foods are easy to digest. Most children are able to eat normal food without problems the day after surgery.
Follow-up Care
A return clinic appointment will be made for your child before you leave Outpatient Surgery.
When to Call the Doctor
- Nausea lasting more than 24 hours.
- Vomiting more than 3 times.
- Redness, warmth, or excess swelling at incision site.
- Pus-like drainage or excess bleeding.
- Rapid or excess bruising. Some bruising is normal.
- Temperature greater than 101°F, taken under the arm for 2 readings taken four hours apart.
- Pain not controlled by pain medicine.
- Excess swelling of the scrotum (some swelling and discoloration is common).
Phone Numbers
- Pediatric Specialty Clinic, Monday-Friday, 8am - 4:30pm:
- (608)-263-6420.
- After hours, holidays and weekends, call the clinic and this will give you the paging operator. Ask for the Pediatric Surgery Resident on call. Leave your name and phone number with the area code. The doctor will call you back.
- Toll free: 1-800-323-8942. This will give you the paging operator.
The information provided should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
Last Updated: 06/21/2010
Copyright © 06/21/2010 University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority. All rights reserved. Produced by the Department of Nursing. HF#5224
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