About Pediatric Surgery at Mount Sinai

At the Division of Pediatric Surgery at Mount Sinai, there is a rich tradition of offering surgical care for children, as we are proud to have one of the oldest Department of pediatrics in the United States. Our surgical patients include those not yet born (with problems detected in the womb by maternal ultrasound), newborns, children, and adolescents. We benefit from coordinated care with outstanding specialists including pediatricians, pediatric gastroenterologists, pediatric oncologists, pediatric anesthesiologists, radiologists, intensivists, pathologists, and many others.

With the great advances in technology, many problems can be recognized in a fetus, which previously were unknown until the parents and doctors were surprised in the delivery room. If a complication is discovered in the fetus, the parents receive attention from our obstetrics specialists and neonatologists (pediatricians who are experts in caring for newborn patients with complex problems). Now, when a baby is born with an obstruction of the bowels, a cyst on the ovary, an abnormal lung, a hole in the abdominal wall or many other problems, we can coordinate our care and prepare the family well before delivery.

Minimally Invasive Surgical Advances

In cooperation with our pediatric gastroenterologists, we have extensive experience in the management of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease and can frequently offer minimally invasive surgical treatment. Common problems, with which we have great experience, include such conditions as hernias, hydroceles, pyloric stenosis, gallstones, ovarian cysts and tumors and appendicitis. We also have great experience with pediatric chest surgery including problems with the lungs and esophagus. We also treat Pediatric tumors in cooperation with our multidisciplinary pediatric oncology team.

We offer minimally invasive surgical techniques (laparoscopy and thoracoscopy) for most problems. These techniques involve inserting a camera and small instruments through very small incisions to perform the operation. This affords the child less pain, a quicker recovery and return to school and sports, along with a far better cosmetic result than with traditional surgery.

Our team prides itself on providing a friendly and comforting atmosphere to families. We understand the intense stress that parents experience when a child faces surgery. Along with our Nurse Practitioner, our physicians work with Child Life specialists and others to make all procedures, big and small, as comfortable for the child and the family as possible. Our goal is to offer the most advanced care in the most sensitive way possible.