What to Expect During Your Visit with a Surgical Oncologist

Our cancer surgeons are here to help you understand your child’s surgery options. We’ll take the time to answer your questions and provide all the information you need to prepare for surgery.

Making an Appointment

Although most patients are referred to us by their medical oncologist, you don’t need a physician referral to see one of our cancer surgeons. We also see families who reach out to us on their own (called a self-referral).

Contact us to schedule an appointment with one of our surgeons.

Preparing for Your Visit

Before your visit, the surgeon will review your child’s medical history and any details related to their cancer diagnosis. This may include:

• Imaging scans
• Lab test results
• Pathology reports
• Information about previous cancer treatments, if applicable

If your child was diagnosed somewhere other than Cincinnati Children’s—meaning we don’t already have their medical records—a member of our team can help. We’ll work with your other providers to get copies of any relevant medical information.

Before your visit, your surgeon may talk to other cancer specialists involved in your child’s care. These discussions help us make decisions about your child’s treatment plan, such as when they should have surgery. For example, if your child also needs chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy, we’ll decide as a team when these treatments should occur.

On the Day of Your Visit

Arriving at Your Appointment

We recommend you arrive about 30 minutes before your appointment. This gives you time to park, make your way to your surgeon’s office and complete the check-in process.

At Your Appointment

During your appointment, your child’s cancer surgeon will:

• Explain how we use all your child’s test results to create a surgical plan.
• Discuss our surgery recommendations. If there is more than one way to remove your child’s tumor, we’ll explain each option—including the benefits and risks of each.
• Discuss the timing and order of your child’s treatments if they need other cancer therapies in addition to surgery.
• Answer any questions you or your child have about the surgery itself, recovery, etc.

We’ll also discuss any next steps your surgeon recommends. These may include:

• How and when to schedule your surgery
• Whether the surgeon needs to see your child again before the day of surgery
• Whether your child needs any imaging tests right before surgery (for example, to see if their tumor has grown)

After Your Visit

You will receive an “After Visit Summary” at the end of your appointment. It will include important details such as the dates of upcoming appointments or procedures and phone numbers to call with questions.

A member of our care team will reach out to you in the days before your child’s surgery. We’ll go over any instructions you’ll need to follow, such as how many hours before surgery your child should stop eating.