Spotlight

Disorders affecting the very young can be different and more complex than those afflicting adults.  During early life, the processes of physical development may be incomplete or abnormal, causing functional problems of the head and neck, chest, lungs, spine, abdomen, bowel, bladder and other areas. Repairing and correcting these disorders requires advanced training and significant expertise. Our pediatric surgeons provide comprehensive care for both infants and children, offering a wide range of procedures to address congenital abnormalities, trauma, and other conditions requiring surgical intervention. Careful follow-up ensures the best progress possible for each child after surgery.

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Leaders in the field

Our Pediatric Surgeons are highly skilled in minimally invasive procedures. These surgeries incorporate the use of several types of endoscopes, including laparoscopes or thoracoscopes. Requiring only small incisions, these thin, lighted viewing tubes are used to examine the interior of the body and remove diseased or damaged tissue with miniature surgical tools.
 
Pediatric surgeons at UC Irvine Medical Center have pioneered several minimally invasive procedures and techniques to improve the outcomes of young patients. As physicians at a university hospital medical center, our pediatric surgery team is also constantly incorporating new minimally invasive techniques into their practices, resulting in less trauma for young patients and faster recovery times.  For example, our pediatric surgeons were among the first in Orange County to perform the following procedures:

• Thoracoscopic pulmonary lobectomy (removal of a defective portion of a lung)
• Thoracoscopic repairs of esophageal atresia with tracheoesophageal fistulas (congenital problems involving the esophagus, stomach and breathing tube)
• Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for treatment of empyema (infection)
• Laparoscopically and transanally assisted endorectal pull-through for Hirschsprung's disease (correction of a dysfunctional colon)
• Laparoscopic total colectomy with ileoanal pull-through (removal of the colon)

Services

UC Irvine Medical Center pediatric surgeons offer a comprehensive array of surgical services to address the following conditions:

• Correction of chest wall deformities
• Esophageal abnormalities
• Congenital and acquired diseases of the lungs
• Congenital and acquired abdominal wall defects
• Anorectal anomalies and dysfunction
• Gastrointestinal abnormalities
• Intestinal obstructions
• Biliary and pancreatic diseases
• Pediatric genitourinary disorders
• Circumcision
• Tumors
• Thoracic and abdominal problems
• Head and neck anomalies
• Gynecological conditions
• Trauma
• Vascular problems

Multidisciplinary care for young patients

To ensure the best outcomes for their young patients, our pediatric surgeons work closely with a multidisciplinary pediatric team of UC Irvine Medical Center specialists and subspecialists, including experts in trauma, oncology, vascular disease, gastroenterology, pulmonary medicine and other fields. In cases involving critically ill newborns, for example, our surgeons may work hand in hand with UC Irvine Medical Center neonatologists (specialists in the care of newborn infants) to correct birth anomalies. Our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is among the most sophisticated in the nation.  

Pre-surgical tours

When a child needs surgery, it creates understandable anxiety for the young patient and his or her family.  A unique pre-surgical tour and program of play therapy helps reduce fears and educates children and their parents about treatment at UC Irvine Medical Center.
Guided by a Child Life Program specialist, children from age three and up who are scheduled for surgery benefit from a medical play session and tour of the pediatric surgery unit. This orientation includes role-playing with dolls and hands-on learning about medical equipment that a young patient might encounter during his or her hospital stay. The child and family also do a walk-through of the registration area and review events leading up to surgery and recovery.