RESHAPES: Returning to School After Paediatric Surgery
PROJECT LEADs:
Sajeed Ali and Imogen Seago
Background
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The socio-economic impact of paediatric surgery has been seldom studied
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There is evidence that long-term absences due to health problems affectchildren’s educational attainment, as well impacting on ability to integrate with peers, general wellbeing and emotional health (Department of Education, Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions Dec 2015)
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Orthopaedics have reviewed time to return to school after surgery and barriers (Brutico et al. 2022; Willimon et al. 2019).
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Anecdotally, there is variation in post-operative advice given after surgery, including answering the question ‘when should my child return to
school/nursery.
Hypothesis
1. Parents are keeping children back from school longer than required post-operatively.
2. There is no clear consensus on suggested time off school/nursery after paediatric surgical procedures.
3. Parents and schools desire and would benefit from suggested patient-criteria that can guide return to school
4. Providing an expected ‘return to school’ date for common procedures will improve return to school and reduce unnecessary days off school.
Aim
To assess the current advice given by paediatric surgeons on how long a child should stay at home/wait to return to activity after index paediatric surgery procedures (both elective and emergency)
Methods
Survey: https://southampton.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bgBxshQpZ81weCG
Qualtrics online prospective survey to collect data on the following procedures:
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Circumcision/preputioplasty
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Open inguinal herniotomy/ligation of patent processus vaginalis
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Laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair
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Umbilical/epigastric hernia repair
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Open orchidopexy
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Emergency scrotal exploration
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Laparoscopic appendicectomy (simple appendicitis only)
A single individual allocated the role of ‘data collector’ at each centre will complete a new form for each procedure
during the data collection period of 2-weeks:
1. The following data will be collected for each procedure:
2. Seniority of clinician providing advice
3. Name of paediatric surgery centre
4. Patient sex + age + comorbidities
5. Procedure name
6. Details of advice given – written/verbal, timeframe, whether it was prompted
7. Data collector name + email
For more information contact Sajeed Ali at sajeed.ali@nhs.net or Imogen Seago at i.seago@nhs.net.
References
Guidelines for day‐case surgery 2019 - Bailey - 2019 - Anaesthesia - Wiley Online
Library
National-Day-Surgery-Delivery-Pack_Sept2020_final.pdf (gettingitrightfirsttime.co.uk)
Paediatric day case surgery - ScienceDirect
Day surgery for children and young people | Publications | Royal College of Nursing
(rcn.org.uk)
https://gpcpd.heiw.wales/non-clinical/return-to-work/recovery-from-common-surgical-
procedures/
Return to School After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Prospective
Study of Adolescents and Young Adults. Brutico et al, March 2022
Time to Return to School After 10 Common Orthopaedic Surgeries Among Children
and Adolescents. Willimon et al., 2019
https://www.ouh.nhs.uk/childrens-therapies/locations/ais/surgery/return-to-
school.aspx
