Surgery and Anesthesia Unit, New Children's Hospital

All open heart and pediatric organ transplantation operations in Finland are performed at New Children's Hospital. Our unit is always prepared for emergency services.  

The Surgery and Anesthesia Unit has ten operating rooms, three of which perform ambulatory surgery. In addition, our unit has a cardiac catheterization laboratory, two dental procedure rooms, a preparation room, and two recovery rooms. 

Arriving for a pre-surgery visit or surgery directly from home    

You will receive information about preparing for surgery either during the pre-surgery visit or by phone a few days before the procedure. We will arrange a pre-surgery visit if your child's health status or the procedure requires it.   

Most of the children and adolescents arrive for the procedure directly from home. Patients arrive at the Surgery and Anesthesia Unit usually approximately an hour before the procedure. The staff will prepare the patient for the procedure and general anesthesia, and you can stay with the child until they fall asleep. 

After the procedure, your child will be transferred to the recovery room where you can join them as soon as your child starts waking up from anesthesia. Inpatient wards provide further care after recovery-room monitoring.

Ambulatory surgery 

In the Surgery and Anesthesia Unit, we perform, for example, small pediatric surgical procedures, ear and eye procedures, endoscopies, minor plastic surgery and urological procedures, removal of material used to repair bone fractures, and casts and bandage changes requiring general anesthesia as ambulatory surgery. 

You can stay with your child until they fall asleep and join them soon after they have woken up. Discharge from the recovery room takes place about 2–4 hours after the procedure has been completed, in accordance with the child’s condition.