The Recovery Room

What happens in the Recovery Room?
Because you’ll be very sleepy when you arrive at the Recovery Room (also called the Post Anesthesia Care Unit, or PACU), the operating room team will give a report to your Recovery Room nurse and let her know how you’re doing. Your Recovery Room nurse will have your parent(s) or guardian(s) come into the Recovery Room as soon as you get settled. While you’re in the Recovery Room your nurse will check on you often, take your blood pressure, pulse, and temperature, and look at your incisions. It’s normal to feel cold after surgery — your nurse will have plenty of warm blankets for you.

When can I eat?
After surgery, it’s important to start eating and drinking slowly. The Recovery Room has ginger ale, ice chips, water, apple juice, ice pops, and crackers. When you’re ready, you can have something to drink, and then light food.

Will I be uncomfortable?
Because your anesthesia care providers work closely with your Recovery Room nurse to make sure you’re as comfortable as possible, you probably won’t be uncomfortable when you wake up from your surgery. If you’re in pain, don’t wait; ask your nurse for medication right away. The GYN team will give you a prescription for pain medication to use after you leave the hospital. Your Recovery Room nurse can fax the prescription to the CVS pharmacy in the Boston Children’s Hospital lobby so the medication will be ready for your parent(s) or guardian(s) to pick up when you’re all set to be discharged. If you prefer, you can bring the prescription to your local pharmacy.

What if I have questions before I go home?
Before you go home, your Recovery Room nurse will give you and your parent(s) or guardian(s) a Home Care Instruction Guide. This guide has information about the type of surgery you had and how to care for yourself after you’re home.

Updated: 6/11/2013