A parent in the operating theater: a survey of attitudes

A parent is often present during anesthetic induction of their child. Some ask to see surgery. We sought views regarding the prospect of a parent in theater during surgery.

A questionnaire survey of parents, theater staff, and surgeons was used. Visual analog scales were also used. A standard error of the mean was calculated for each parameter. Statistical analysis was by Student's t test. Comparisons were made between groups, and a P value of less than .05 was considered significant.

Three hundred seven respondents--204 parents, 75 theater personnel, and 28 surgeons. Parents favored the option to be present in theater. Across groups, support declined with intensity of intervention; minor surgery under local anesthetic, parental score of 8.43, declining to 6.5 for minor elective surgery under general anesthetic, and 5.1 for emergency surgery. There were also declines for theater personnel (2.7, 1.1, and 0.9) and surgeons (4.29, 1.5, and 0.6). Scores for theater personnel and surgeons were significantly lower than the parents (P < .001).

This study confirms a desire by parents to be present in theater during surgery on their child but demonstrates the concerns of professionals. We propose a randomized study to test the hypothesis that having a parent in theater has measurable benefits.