Ideas That Work: Help Children Prepare for Surgery

Practical pearls from your colleagues

How do you get kids comfortable with the idea of going under the knife? You give them a glimpse into the operating room, making sure there are plenty of teddy bears to go around. This is the crux of the “Teddy Bear Clinic: Operation Day,” an annual event created and hosted by the MassGeneral for Children Department of Surgery and Surgeon-in-Chief Allan Goldstein, MD. The Clinic was held in 2018 and 2019, paused in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and then made its triumphant return in November 2022. Children preparing for their upcoming surgeries and members of the Boys and Girls Club of Chelsea, Mass., were invited to participate in the event. With teddy bears donated by a historical and public service organization, Dr. Goldstein says the goal of the Teddy Bear Clinic is to decrease anxiety, foster relationships with the medical system and help children gain a sense of comfort with their healthcare experiences by incorporating play opportunities and peer socialization to help normalize the environment. When MassGeneral for Children asked the participants to share a few thoughts about the experience, they consistently said it made them feel less scared about having surgery. Several children also wrote thank you notes, with one child sharing, “Thank you for teaching me about the OR and thanks for helping me save my teddy bear.” OSM