Great distraction for work, surgery!

December 9, 2004 10:48 AM

Game Boys used to calm down kids heading into surgery. I have been replaced, as a parent, by a Game Boy, and have come full circle.
posted by adampsyche (6 comments total)

When my (then) four-year-old got his tonsils out last spring, they brought in a combination VCR/Nintendo64 on a rolling cart, into the pre-op room. Made a big difference in helping him stay calm.
posted by LairBob at 11:13 AM on December 9, 2004

Woot, and for the second year, I give Child's Play an onyx GameBoy SP.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 11:56 AM on December 9, 2004

Sense of tension and fear:
"it's okay, relax, everything's going to be fine. I'll be here when you wake up. I'll be right in that little room the whole time."

Sense of normalcy:
"sure, whatever, go play nintendo."
posted by scarabic at 1:59 PM on December 9, 2004

seriously disturbing. vive la couture synthetique!
posted by moonbird at 4:24 PM on December 9, 2004

I wonder what games they play to get that calming effect? Tetris?
posted by dowingba at 12:14 AM on December 10, 2004

on NPR last night they had the doctor that did the study...she was talking about the Powerpuff Girls game (I would imagine any sidescrolling platform game would work well...the Sonic series had my gf's nephew totally quiet at Thanksgiving dinner)..

Childs Play is a really cool idea...I wonder if they would take a 1Gb Flash2Advance cart for all those new GBA's....
posted by gren at 4:31 AM on December 10, 2004