When your child needs medical treatment, you want him or her to have the very best care available. So it stands to reason that if your child needs an operation, you will want to consult with a surgeon who is qualified and experienced in operating on children.
Surgeons who specialize in general surgery often provide surgical care for children, and they are fully qualified to perform many operations on children.
In more urbanized areas of the country, another kind of surgeon the pediatric surgeon is also available to provide comprehensive surgical care for children.
Pediatric surgeons operate on children whose development ranges from the newborn stage through the teenage years. In addition to completing training and achieving board certification, pediatric surgeons complete three additional years of training exclusively in children's surgery. They then receive special certification in the subspecialty of pediatric surgery.
Pediatric surgeons are primarily concerned with the diagnosis, preoperative, operative, and postoperative management of surgical problems in children. Some medical conditions in newborns are not compatible with a good quality of life unless these problems are corrected surgically.
These conditions must be recognized immediately by neonatologists, pediatricians, and family physicians. Pediatric surgeons cooperate with all of the specialists involved in a child's medical care to determine whether surgery is the best option for the child.
Pediatric surgeons utilize their expertise in providing surgical care for all problems or conditions affecting children that require surgical intervention. They participate in transplantation operations, and like most surgeons today, they use laparoscopic techniques for some operations.
They also have particular expertise in the following areas of responsibility:Pediatric surgeons practice their specialty in a variety of medical institutions, including children's hospitals, university-related medical centers with major pediatric services, and large urban community hospitals.
Pediatric surgeons specialize in the surgical care of children. They are surgeons who, by training, are oriented toward working with children and understanding their special needs.
In addition, they work with various specialists who are also oriented towards the next century. Pediatric surgeons are able to save whole lifetimes, and have the opportunity to follow their patients through a productive young life into adulthood.