Monitoring
Postoperative feeding is often started once the infant has recovered from anesthesia. Opioid analgesics are avoided in most cases, so as not to diminish the respiratory drive. There does not seem to be any advantage of using a standardized feeding regimen versus ad libitum feedings, although a meta-analysis suggested that ad lib feeding leads to decreased length of stay, albeit with more episodes of emesis.[78][79] Postoperative emesis is not uncommon and typically resolves within 1 to 2 days.
Although the feeding regimen does not affect time to discharge, the institution of a hospital-wide postoperative protocol may reduce overall length of stay.[80][81]
Infants are discharged from the hospital only if they are able to feed freely at their goal volume depending on their weight. At a postoperative visit (within 2 to 3 weeks post discharge), clinicians should ascertain that vomiting is completely resolved and that the incision(s) has healed.
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