The new paediatric surgery service starts operations

The SJD Sant Boi Hospital will begin operating on children from the age of 3 with problems that require otorhinolaryngology surgery. This new service, organised in association with the Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Children's Hospital, has been introduced in response to needs detected at the SJD Sant Boi Hospital and within its area of ​​influence. “This speciality has been prioritised due to the interest shown by the service and the availability of facilities, and also because we are dealing with pathologies that affect many children," explains Dr Rafael Vera, head of the Otorhinolaryngology Service at Sant Joan de Déu Sant Boi Hospital.

The surgical procedures that will be performed from 1 October will treat the most common conditions within the field of otorhinolaryngology. "They include obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, which is the result of hypertrophy of the adenoids and tonsils, causing snoring and making it difficult to sleep well at night; or recurrent otitis media and serous otitis media, which directly affect language acquisition and, consequently, the child's performance at school," explains Dr Rafael Vera.

Other types of surgery will also be performed, as long as they do not require the use of a paediatric ICU, are not highly complex and do not correspond to another type of hospital. Nasal surgery will be carried out (in cases of sinusitis, nasal polyposis and nasal septum correction, for example); middle ear procedures (such as tympanoplasty); and neck surgery (such as congenital fistulas or cysts). “In the medium term, we will try to cover not only prevalent pathologies, but also more complex conditions, going a little further,” says the doctor.

Initially, paediatric surgery will be scheduled one Wednesday a month, until we have a clear idea of the number of children who will need surgery within our area of ​​influence. In the medium term, when the waiting list grows, operations will take place every fifteen days and, eventually, once a week. "It is especially important for children with obstructive sleep apnea or hearing loss not to be waiting a long time to be operated on, since it holds back socialization and also affects them at school," comments Dr Vera.

As well as making it easier for families to have this service for their children close to home, the introduction of paediatric surgery in Sant Boi will also contribute to reducing the growing waiting list for surgery at the Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Children's Hospital.

Pre-operative preparation with a Child Life specialist

Two weeks before surgery, children and their families attend a meeting with a Child Life specialist. These professionals, trained in health and the care of children, help to reduce the impact that hospitalisation has on children and help them to feel less fearful of hospital procedures such as an operation. They also contribute to their emotional well-being with psychological preparation. The Child Life specialists at the SJD Barcelona Hospital and in Sant Boi are the only ones in Spain.

“Through therapeutic play, we go through the procedures that will be carried out on the day of the operation with the children and their families," explains Elena Fernández, nurse and Child Life specialist at the SJD Sant Boi Hospital. Trying on a mask or experiencing the feel of an intravenous line are among the activities carried out in these sessions, in which they also see the operating theatre for the first time. As part of the therapy, they are given a rag doll on which they can practise any procedure, prepare it for the operating theatre and take it home to play with. If they wish, they can take it with them to the operating theatre on the day of the operation.