Ma première chirurgie is launched

The interactive app that makes surgery a little less scary is now available in French

Ma première chirurgie, the French version of the My First Surgery iPad app is now available. In 2013, Dr. Robert Baird, pediatric surgeon at the Montreal Children’s Hospital (MCH), teamed up with Montreal-based digital development company Stradigi to address the growing need expressed by parents and patients to better prepare for their first time in the operating room.

The interactive app breaks down each step by explaining what will happen before, during and after the surgery in both a child-friendly manner, as well as with a special section just for parents. “We value Patient and Family-Centred Care at the Children’s, and this app aligns with that philosophy by offering families a tool that provides a great deal of information about what their surgery experience will be like,” says Dr. Baird. “The goal is to continue the development of the app because everyone has the right to prepare for surgery,” he adds.  Dr. Baird believes the app should be available to as many people as possible and says, “I would like to see the app grow to become multilingual and eventually become available for iPhone and Android users too.”

Dr. Damien Maxwell, a pediatric surgeon at the Charleston Area Medical Centre (CAMC) in West Virginia, is one of the app’s users. “The app is installed on the iPads the patients play with in the preoperative holding area,” explains Dr. Maxwell. “The feedback has been very positive and has reduced anxiety in patients just prior to surgery,” he continues, “I show them the app maybe once a week but they often find it on their own and many of them play with it on a regular basis.”

The app, available in English and French can be downloaded for free from Apple's App Store for iPad use.  To find out more or to contribute to the development of the App, visit www.myfirstsurgery.com.