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Surgery can be a frightening experience for anyone, but for a child and their family, the level of fear and stress is often higher. Healthcare providers say reducing those anxieties in a young patient prior to surgery, can lead to a better overall outcome. That's why several leading children's hospitals are working hard to make the entire experience comfortable, familiar and even fun.

Research has shown that children who are engaged in an activity or have a distraction ahead of surgery feel more comfortable and therefore less fearful. Child experts have developed a wide variety of activities to engage children and their families before surgery and during recovery. These activities range from creating a web page about their stay, to playing games that familiarize them with their surgery. At the University of Michigan, patients often get to ride a battery-powered Hummer right into surgery.

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