Pediatric General Surgery

These conditions affect tissues and organs located in the belly (abdominal cavity), especially the lower digestive tract (stomach and intestines). They include:

Anorectal malformations

The anus or rectum (last portion of the large intestine) fail to fully develop in the womb, resulting in narrowing or blockages that can prevent waste from exiting the body.

Appendicitis

Inflammation of the appendix, a small pouch that hangs off the lower intestine. This condition causes sudden and often severe pain in the lower right side of the belly.

Bowel contraction (motility) disorders

Conditions that prevent the digestive system muscles from moving waste properly, including disorders that cause severe constipation (such as Hirschsprung’s disease, which causes stool to back up in the intestine due to missing nerve cells) or loss of bowel control (fecal incontinence).

Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD)

Acid and other stomach contents flow backward up the food pipe (esophagus), often due to a weak valve between the food pipe and stomach. Surgery may be needed to place a feeding tube (if GERD symptoms are preventing a baby from feeding) or to repair the valve.

Gallbladder problems

Including painful, hard deposits of excess bile (gallstones) that form inside the gallbladder, as well as other forms of gallbladder disease.

Hernias

Part of an organ pushes through a tear or weak spot in the tissues that surround and support it. Common examples include part of the large intestine poking through the abdominal wall in the groin (inguinal hernia), near the belly button (umbilical hernia), between the belly button and breastbone (epigastric hernia), or abdominal organs moving up into the chest (diaphragmatic hernia).

Inflammatory bowel disease

Conditions that cause swelling and inflammation in the digestive tract, leading to symptoms like belly pain, cramping, and diarrhea. Examples include Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Intestinal and abdominal wall defects

Birth defects that affect the structure or function of a baby’s intestines or create gaps in the abdominal wall that surrounds them (allowing them to protrude and develop outside the belly). Examples include gastroschisis and omphalocele.

Intestinal blockage

A physical obstruction in the intestines, such as part of an intestine folding inward on itself (intussusception), that prevents food from passing through.

Intestinal malrotation

During fetal development, a baby’s intestines don’t fully rotate into the proper position in their belly.

These conditions affect organs and structures in the chest, including the lungs, airways, or the surrounding bones and tissues. Examples include:

Abnormal lung tissue masses

Including growths on the lungs themselves (congenital lung lesions) or the partition between the lungs (mediastinal masses).

Breastbone abnormalities

Including a breastbone that appears sunken in (pectus excavatum) or sticking out further than it should (pectus carinatum).

Severe respiratory distress

Life-threatening conditions that make it difficult for a child to breathe and can result in imminent heart or lung failure. Surgeons provide temporary life support for children (including newborns) via a machine that draws blood out of the body, exchanges oxygen and carbon dioxide, and returns the blood to the body (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation).

General surgeons often treat conditions affecting the male and female reproductive organs. These include:

Gynecologic issues

General surgeons may address various issues with the female reproductive tract in children and adolescents, such as removal of soft tissue masses or excess uterine-like tissue that develops outside the uterus (endometriosis).

Hydrocele

Fluid buildup in the scrotum, causing it to appear swollen. It is very common in newborn boys.

Undescended testicles

Surgery may be needed to reposition a testicle if it has not reached the scrotum by the time a newborn boy is a few months old.

Some other common conditions treated by pediatric general surgeons include:

Pilonidal disease

A painful, swollen bump that appears on the skin between the buttocks due to plugged hair follicles. Surgery may be required if other treatment options fail.

Skin and soft tissue infections

Surgery may be required to remove (debride) damaged, dead, or severely infected tissue in order to prevent the spread of infection and allow the healthy tissue to heal.

Soft tissue masses and tumors

Especially those that develop anywhere on the skin or within the organs or structures of the abdomen or chest.

Thyroid and parathyroid conditions

While many conditions are managed with medication and care from pediatric endocrinology specialists, in some cases, surgery may be needed on the thyroid or parathyroid glands — the small glands in the neck that help control hormones.

Trauma

Injuries requiring surgical care, such as fixing bowel injuries or removing foreign objects from the esophagus, airways, or other parts of the body.