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Ideas Work
P r a c t i c a l p e a r l s f r o m y o u r c o l l e a g u e s
That
I
love to sketch and
draw in my free time,
so during pre-op clinic
visits I ask patients what
kind of drawing they want
me to make on the bandag-
es I'll place over their scars
after surgery. In the OR, as
the rest of the team is
preparing to move the
patient to recovery, I pull
up the character or image
on an iPad and begin to draw the design on the bandage with my per-
sonal set of colored pens and pencils. The drawings take about 5 min-
utes to complete. I've drawn Mickey Mouse in scrubs, Snoopy, foot-
ball helmets for most college and pro teams — and countless Sponge
Bobs. I have fun making the art and the kids light up when they see
their requests come to life. Covering kids' surgical scars with an
image that makes them smile is incredibly fulfilling and lets them
know I care about them as a person, not just as another patient. No
need to worry if you don't have an artistic flair. It doesn't take a great
artist to make a child smile during what is often a scary time for them
and a nerve-wracking time for their parents.
Robert Parry, MD, FACS
Akron (Ohio) Children's Hospital
rparry@akronchildrens.org
HEARTS AND CRAFTS
Bandage Art Helps Kids Heal
• DOC'S DOODLES Robert Parry, MD, FACS (right), makes sure each
patient he operates on leaves the OR with a personalized wound dressing.
Akron
(Ohio)
Children's
Hospital
