六合彩开奖结果

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App helps kids (and parents) get ready for surgery

Published: 31 October 2013

Andrew Feng is a bright 6-year-old boy who loves to play the online strategy game Clash of the Clans and go trick-or-treating on Halloween. This Halloween, however, he will be undergoing surgery to remove a benign growth from one of his ribs.

Naturally, Andrew鈥檚 parents are a little anxious. This will be their son鈥檚 first operation and he might have to stay overnight at the Montreal Children鈥檚 Hospital.

鈥淔or sure, we鈥檙e nervous,鈥 said Andrew鈥檚 mother, Weilu Yu. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the whole unknown of the surgery.鈥

The Montreal Children鈥檚 is hoping to demystify some of that unknown with what it calls the first interactive computer program of its kind: the 鈥淢y First Surgery鈥 app for iPads now available for free on iTunes.

Conceived by Montreal Children鈥檚 surgeon Robert Baird 鈥 who will be operating on Andrew 鈥 the app features content for both adults and children, using colourful computer animation and videos.

鈥淗ow to you feel about your surgery?鈥 the app asks.

A child can tap on a teddy bear with shades, labelled 鈥渁ll cool,鈥 or one marked 鈥渃urious鈥 with a question mark over its head, 鈥渟cared鈥 for a shaking teddy bear and 鈥渃onfused鈥 for a bear with a large drop of sweat rolling down its cheek. A new screen pops up after the tap, showing a cartoon surgeon (who looks a lot like Baird) telling the child in a soothing voice what awaits in the operating room.

鈥淭his is a mask,鈥 says a cartoon anesthesiologist later in the app. 鈥淚t gives you fresh air to help you fall asleep.鈥

Baird, whose app has already won a 鈥渂iomedical innovation鈥 award by 六合彩开奖结果, said parents often forget some of the details that a surgeon or nurse might tell them about their child鈥檚 upcoming surgery. The app, therefore, serves as a useful review tool for parents while offering reassurance.

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