Omphalocele is a birth defect in which an infant's intestine or other abdominal organs develop outside of the body because of a hole in the navel area. It must be corrected within the first few days of birth through surgery.
Why do surgeons tell patients to fast before surgery? If your child’s surgery has to be performed under general anesthesia, eating or drinking before surgery can make them feel nauseated after they wake up, which may be dangerous in certain situations.
When can your child swim after tonsillectomy? It varies from case to case. However, in general, your child should be able to swim in two to three weeks following the operation.
Epidural anesthesia is the most common type of local anesthesia administered during child surgery to numb parts of the body. It is injected in the tailbone or back region.
When preparing for a child’s surgery, make sure to keep the child’s routine the same to avoid any discomfort or stress. Also, both the child and the family should be well-rested for the day of surgery.
What is minimally invasive surgery? It refers to a surgical technique that does not require a large incision. It is a surgical approach that allows your child to recover faster and with less pain.
Because of their small sizes and metabolisms that are rapidly changing, infants have unique surgical needs, and precise guidelines must be applied when it comes to feeding, anesthesia, medication dosing, preventing hypothermia, and caring for the surgical site.
According to the WHO, there are about 1.7 billion children and adolescents who do not have access to surgical care worldwide. Most of these children live in developing countries, and only 8% of them have access to surgical care.
If your child suffers from recurrent tonsil infections, a tonsillectomy may be the best approach. Not only can it save your child from repeated infections, but it can also prevent permanent damage to the heart valves caused by the same bacteria that causes tonsillitis.
When was the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) founded? This professional association which is dedicated to the health of all children was founded on June 23, 1930. AAP is headquartered in Itasca, Illinois.
Coughs are common after a tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy. This mainly happens after the first several hours of surgery due to having a breathing tube during surgery.
Do you know that around 400,000 robotic surgeries were performed across all types of surgery in the United States in 2012? In fact, the reports have revealed that the rate of robotic surgeries is increasing by 25% annually.
Appendectomy, or the removal of the appendix, is the most common emergency surgery performed in children. Children under four years are at a higher risk for rupture, which can lead to infection and can be life-threatening.
Why consider having your baby boy circumcised? For one, circumcision helps prevent UTIs, which in turn limits hospital visits and procedures. It may also lower their risk of acquiring STDs when they get older. Lastly, it saves them the pain of being circumcised later.
Gastroschisis is a congenital defect wherein the intestines of the newborn protrude outside of the body. This condition occurs in about one in every 5,000 births and requires surgery immediately after birth.
The NIH shows that 84% of North American infants born with biliary atresia have no other birth defects, while the remaining 16% also suffer from other organ problems. While the condition is life-threatening, infants who have undergone surgery can grow into healthy adults.
Surgery is not only vital for correcting congenital anomalies, but it also helps in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer in children. Through surgery, suffering can be minimized and more children’s lives saved.
Because children are highly sensitive to dehydration, fluid management is an essential part of the care for a child undergoing surgery. Specialized surgeons are needed for the job because they have extensive knowledge of fluid physiology in children.
The most appropriate age for your child to have surgery depends to some extent on the condition being treated. In general, the earlier a problem can be treated, the better.
Approximately 25% of inflammatory bowel diseases are found in persons younger than 20 years of age. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are the two common types of inflammatory bowel diseases treated by surgery.
Prenatal surgery refers to operations performed on babies still in the womb. Pediatric surgeons, in cooperation with radiologists, use ultrasound and other technologies to detect any anomalies in the fetus. They can then plan corrective surgery.
When is surgery required? The decision for surgery is based on careful evaluation of your child's medical history and medical tests, such as blood tests, MRI, x-rays, CT scan, electrocardiogram, or other laboratory tests performed to diagnose the condition.
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a life-threatening illness affecting mostly the intestine of premature infants, affects 1–2% of patients admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit. The overall survival rate of NEC surgery is about 70%.
Most often, children are given a light form of general anesthesia so they experience less anxiety. Also, it is the safest way to perform most surgeries on children.