Pediatric General Surgery

These conditions involve the organs and tissues in your child’s belly (abdominal cavity), such as the stomach, intestines, and gallbladder. They include:

Anorectal malformations

Congenital abnormalities in the structure of the anus or the rectum (last portion of the large intestine) that restrict or block waste from exiting the body.

Appendicitis

Sudden, severe right-sided belly pain caused by inflammation of the appendix, a thin, tube-shaped organ attached to the lower intestine.

Bowel contraction (motility) disorders

These conditions prevent the digestive system from moving food through the intestines properly, either causing severe constipation or loss of bowel control (fecal incontinence). Examples include Hirschsprung’s disease, which causes stool to back up in the intestine due to missing nerve cells.

Gallbladder problems

Pain from infection or inflammation that is often caused by the formation of gallstones, which are hard deposits of bile that collect in the gallbladder.

Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD)

Contents from the stomach, such as stomach acid and food, flow backward from the stomach into the food pipe (esophagus), which can cause damage over time. Surgery may be recommended to repair a defective valve or to insert a feeding tube (if GERD is interfering with your baby’s ability to feed).

Hernias

Weak spots or tears in tissue that allow part of a neighboring organ to push into or through it. Examples include abdominal organs or intestines pushing through the chest cavity (diaphragmatic hernia) or intestines pushing through the abdominal wall in the groin (inguinal hernia), near the belly button (umbilical hernia), or between the belly button and breastbone (epigastric hernia).

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

Swelling and inflammation in the digestive tract, which causes belly pain, cramping, diarrhea, and other possible symptoms. The two main forms of IBD are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Intestinal and abdominal wall defects

This includes birth defects that result in abnormal structure or function of the intestines or create gaps in the surrounding abdominal wall (which allows intestines to develop partially outside the body).

Intestinal blockage

Any obstruction physically blocking an intestine, including part of the intestine itself collapsing and folding in on itself (intussusception).

Intestinal malrotation

The intestines do not fully rotate into their proper position during fetal development, which can affect their functioning.

Also known as thoracic conditions, these affect the lungs, airways, bones, and other tissues and organs of the chest. They include:

Abnormal lung tissue masses

This includes growths directly on lung tissue (congenital lung lesions) or on the wall of tissue that separates the left and right lungs (mediastinal masses).

Breastbone abnormalities

Birth defects involving the position of the breastbone. This includes a breastbone that appears sunken in (pectus excavatum) or projects too far forward (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. General pediatric surgeons support children who weigh at least 88 lbs (40 kg) and require life support such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, a device that removes blood from the body, adds oxygen and removes carbon dioxide, and returns it to the body.

General surgeons often address problems that affect the male or female reproductive systems. These include:

Gynecologic issues

This includes removing soft tissue masses, removing excess uterine-like tissue that develops on other organs (endometriosis), and other procedures involving the female reproductive tract.

Hydrocele

Buildup of fluid in the scrotum, which causes it to appear large and swollen. It is common in newborn boys.

Undescended testicles

Surgery to move a testicle from the abdomen if it has not reached the scrotum by the time a boy is a few months old.

Some other common conditions treated by pediatric general surgeons include:

Pilonidal disease

This condition causes a painful, swollen bump to develop between the buttocks. It is caused by plugged hair follicles.

Skin and soft tissue infections

Sometimes skin needs to be removed (debrided) if it is damaged, dead, or severely infected. This can help prevent the spread of damage and promote healing.

Soft tissue masses and tumors

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

Trauma

Wounds, broken bones, foreign objects in the airways, and other injuries that require surgical care.