Gus’ enlarged adenoids made it hard for him – and his parents – to get a good night’s sleep.
When a child has surgery, it’s a nervous time for the whole family. But the team at the Akron Children’s Outpatient Surgery Center in Beachwood delivered a great experience for Gus Pietrocini and his parents.
Breathing and sleeping problems
Gus turned 10 this month. He never really slept with his mouth closed, even as a baby. His breathing and sleeping issues worsened as he got older. He’d often end up in bed with his parents, Stacy and Joshua. “My doctor wondered if I needed a sleep study because my Apple Watch showed I woke up 11 times in one night,” Stacy said, with a chuckle. “I explained that the issue was Gus not sleeping, coming into our room and waking us up as he breathed on me. He snored, tossed and turned in our bed all night.”
That’s when Stacy knew it was time to get Gus to the doctor. She chose Dr. Anton Milo after reading great online reviews, who confirmed Gus needed surgery to remove his adenoids. “Gus had enormous adenoids. They were enflamed and blocked his nasal passages when he would lie down at night,” Stacy explained. “He’s always snored all night and had a very dry mouth upon waking up each morning.”
At the office visit, Dr. Milo asked where Gus attends school. “Gus said Bath Elementary. Dr. Milo said he went to the old Bath Elementary and graduated from Revere High School, announcing to Gus that they were both Minutemen,” Stacy recalled. “They bonded instantly; it was the sweetest thing.”
Gus – pictured with his parents and brothers, Ziggie and Abraham – was the first of the three boys to have surgery.
Surgery day
The Pietrocini family lives in Akron, but they didn’t mind a longer drive to the Beachwood Surgery Center. “It’s so easy to get to off the highway, and parking is right by the front door,” she said. “It’s not as big and busy as the downtown Akron campus.”
The Beachwood staff made the Pietrocinis feel comfortable from the moment they walked in the door, from intake with the receptionist to meeting the surgical team. The receptionist even made Gus’ stuffed animal, “Mr. Avocado Man,” a matching patient ID bracelet. “The nursing staff and Lauren Armstrong, the child life specialist, were all super engaged and explained what Gus would experience in a gentle and playful manner,” Stacy said. “He was the first of our three boys to have surgery, so we were unaware that the hospital had someone like a child life specialist.”
Gus and Mr. Avocado Man had matching patient ID bracelets.
Lauren remembers Gus’ bravery. “He handled the whole experience with such a positive attitude,” she said. “He had such a sweet personality, and he really engaged when we used play and went over the medical equipment together. That preparation gave him a sense of calm and confidence, which made the day easier for both him and his family.”
A key step before surgery: Gus chose the lip balm flavor that would give his surgical mask a scent. Anesthesiologist Dr. Daniel Goldstein took the opportunity to add some humor to the moment. “When Gus picked his lip balm flavor, Dr. Goldstein offered his smelly socks as an option,” Stacy shared. “Dr. Goldstein was amazing. The whole team made us feel so comfortable. Gus was never scared – so that made Joshua and me feel better, too.”
Removing Gus’ adenoids only took about 10 minutes. “By the time Joshua got a cup of coffee in the waiting room, we were called back to speak with the doctor and informed that Gus was already in recovery – sound asleep,” Stacy recalled. “It went so fast that we didn’t have time to worry.”
Recovering from surgery
It took some time for Gus to recover. Nearly a week after surgery, Gus continued to have pain in his neck and the back of his head. “I called Dr. Milo’s office to make sure this was normal,” Stacy said. “They explained the positioning of Gus’ head during surgery – needing to get way back there to reach the adenoids – fatigued his neck muscles. It was nothing to worry about, so we continued with rotating Tylenol and Motrin. He bounced right back with eating and drinking after a few more days.”
The surgery made an incredible difference for Gus. “He never complained about his lack of sleep, but he had bags under his eyes,” Stacy said. “Now, he wakes up rested because he’s not struggling to breathe.”
Gus never complained about not sleeping well, but now he has more energy for activities including golf.
Lasting impressions
The positive experience Gus had at the Beachwood Surgery Center helped pave the way when he had oral surgery a few months later. “He asked if he was going to be put to sleep again like when he had his adenoids removed,” Stacy said. “His nervousness was minimal due to the welcoming and engaged experience we received at Akron Children’s.”
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Learn more about the Akron Children’s Ear, Nose and Throat Center.
