Activity: The anesthesia for the surgery may affect your child for the first 24 hours. Your child may lack their usual coordination and balance in this time period. Your child will need to be watched closely to prevent fall and accidents. Most children are able to resume normal activities once they go home. If this is not the case, you will be informed of any activity restrictions before discharge.

Surgical Site Care: The suture site needs to be inspected daily for any redness, swelling, drainage. Keep the sutures clean and dry. A shower or sponge bath may be given. Please avoid soaking sutures in water. After a shower, pat suture site dry, do not rub site. If application of an ointment is necessary, your doctor will instruct you to do so. Please do not apply any ointments or lotions unless instructed by your doctor. Itching around suture site is normal. Please do not allow your child to pick at the incision site. The site can be dressed with Band-Aid or non-occlusive gauze if necessary.

Sutures: Most incisions are closed with absorbable sutures and do not require an appointment for removal. If your child does not have absorbable sutures, you will be given information to arrange for suture removal in 10-14 days.

Pain: Your child should only experience minimal pain or discomfort and it should last only for a few days. Tylenol may be given as directed by your doctor. If necessary, your doctor will give you a prescription for a stronger pain medicine.

MRI: IF your child has a programmable shunt placed and needs a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) please contact your Neurosurgeon prior to this test. The MRI machine may reset the shunt valve, and cause changes in how the shunt works. Contacting your child’s Neurosurgeon before a MRI is very important so the valve can be reset after MRI.

Diet: Your child should be back on his regular diet by the time he/she is able to go home.

When to call the doctor:

• Fever over 101 F or 38.4 C


• Vomiting, swelling, drainage or redness from the sutures


• Headache that is not relieved by medication


• If your child sleeps more than usual, has difficulty in waking up or staying awake


• Increasing head size in infants, or bulging soft spot (fontanel).


• Irritability


• Seizures


• Redness or drainage from the incision or if the incision opens up or falls apart

If you have any concerns, questions or need further information, please contact the Pediatric Neurosurgery Offices at (714) 289-4151.