Ureteral Reimplant Surgery for Children: What to Expect at Home

Allow your child to slowly become more active. Have your child rest as much as needed. Make sure your child gets enough sleep at night.

If your child is old enough to walk, have them try to walk each day. Bit by bit, increase the amount your child walks. Your child may climb stairs. Walking boosts blood flow and helps prevent pneumonia and constipation.

Your child may take a shower or bath, unless your child still has a urinary catheter or drain. If your child has a catheter or drain, follow your doctor's instructions about bathing.

If your child goes to school or day care, they may return when they are ready. This is usually in about 1 to 2 weeks.

Do not allow your child to do strenuous activity for about 4 to 6 weeks, or until your doctor says it is okay. This includes riding bikes, playing running games, wrestling, and taking part in gym class.

Do not allow your child to swim or go in hot tubs until the doctor says it is okay.

Your child may ride in the car with the car seat straps in their usual position.

Your child can eat a normal diet. If your child's stomach is upset, try bland, low-fat foods like plain rice, broiled chicken, toast, and yogurt.

Have your child drink plenty of fluids.

You may notice a change in your child's bowel habits right after surgery. This is common. If your child has not had a bowel movement after a couple of days, call the doctor.

Your doctor will tell you if and when your child can restart any medicines. The doctor will also give you instructions about your child taking any new medicines.

The doctor may give your child medicine for bladder spasms. Have your child take it as directed.

Make sure that your child takes pain medicines exactly as directed.

• If the doctor gave your child a prescription medicine for pain, give it as prescribed.

• If your child is not taking a prescription pain medicine, ask the doctor if your child can take an over-the-counter medicine.

If you think pain medicine is making your child sick to their stomach:

• Give your child the medicine after meals (unless the doctor has told you not to).

• Ask your child's doctor for a different pain medicine.

Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics. Have your child take them as directed. Do not stop giving them just because your child feels better. Your child needs to take the full course of antibiotics.

If your child has strips of tape on the incision, leave the tape on for a week or until it falls off.

Wash the area daily with warm, soapy water, and pat it dry. Don't use hydrogen peroxide or alcohol, which can slow healing. You may cover the area with a gauze bandage if it weeps or rubs against clothing. Change the bandage every day.

Keep the area clean and dry.

Your child may have a urinary catheter or a drain near the incision. Your doctor will tell you how to take care of it.

Your child may not be able to control when they urinate for a few weeks. Your child may need a diaper or pad to soak up leaking urine for 2 to 3 weeks. Reassure your child that this often happens after the surgery and will stop in time.

Your child passes out (loses consciousness).

Your child has sudden chest pain and shortness of breath or coughs up blood.

Your child has severe trouble breathing.

Your child cannot urinate.

Your child is sick to his or her stomach or cannot keep fluids down.

Your child has pain that does not get better after he or she takes pain medicine.

Your child has a fever over 100.4°F or chills.

Your child has signs of infection, such as:

• Increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness.

• Red streaks leading from the incision.

• Pus draining from the incision.

• Swollen lymph nodes in his or her neck, armpits, or groin.

• A fever.

Your child has loose stitches, or the incision comes open.

Bright red blood has soaked through the bandage over your child's incision.

Your child has new back pain. The pain may be just below the rib cage, on one side. This is called flank pain.

Your child's urine smells bad or looks cloudy or discolored.

Your child refuses to drink fluids.