Who can bring my child to the Pre-Op Clinic?
Children under 18 years of age need to be accompanied to the Pre-Op Clinic by a parent or legal guardian. Generally, surgery cannot take place without consent forms that are signed by a parent or legal guardian. Patients 18 years of age or older who can consent to their own medical care do not need to be accompanied by anyone. Patients 18 years of age or older who are not able to consent to their own medical or dental treatment (for example, due to mental retardation and developmental delays) must be accompanied by a legal guardian. It is important to note that once a child turns 18, his or her parents are no longer automatically his legal guardians and lack the ability to make consent decisions for the child. Therefore, in order to become a legal guardian for a child 18 years of age and older, parents (or others) must be appointed by a court. This process generally requires the assistance of an attorney and takes three to six weeks to complete. Please note, if your child is 18 years o
