Paediatric surgeon Dr Robert Parry has found a creative way to help children cope with their scar after waking up from surgery — he hand-draws cartoons on their bandages.

As the procedure comes to an end, the surgeon from Akron Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, US, sits down to draw a surprise character, inspired by a chat about interests with the child or their family before surgery.

So far, he has drawn more than 10,000 characters, including Olaf from Frozen, Snoopy, Batman and sporting team logos, according to the hospital, which recently lauded Dr Parry in a round-up of its top 10 ‘touch your heart’ moments over the past decade.

“He always takes a moment to make sure a scar isn’t the only lasting memory of a child’s surgical procedure,” the hospital wrote.