Pediatric Surgery | Treatments and Services

The first and only comprehensive, multidisciplinary pediatric colorectal center in the world.  Physicians specialize in the treatment of anorectal malformations, imperforate anus, Hirschsprung’s disease and other issues related to the bowel, including constipation and fecal incontinence.  The center works closely with colleagues in pediatric gynecology and pediatric urology, as well as many other specialists in a variety of fields, making for a unique model of collaborative care.

The multidisciplinary Colorectal Center  performs more than 400 complex colorectal procedures each year – more than any other center in the world.  Additionally, the  center utilizes sound approaches to non-surgical techniques that are required in helping patients manage postoperative issues throughout their lives, most notably fecal incontinence.  The center’s Bowel Management Program is a one-week program designed for treatment of children with fecal incontinence and has achieved a 95 percent success rate. Read more.

Primary mission is to provide comprehensive outpatient consultation and continuing care for children with this rare genetic disease.  The center treats patients with all types of epidermolysis bullosa: simplex, junctional and dystrophic. Read more.

 The Esophageal Center at Cincinnati Children’s features the multidisciplinary expertise to treat children with even the most complex esophageal disorders such as: Esophageal atresia (EA) - including long gap esophageal atresia, tracheoesophageal fistulas (TEF), esophageal duplications, bronchogenic cysts, esophageal strictures (narrowing of the esophagus) and Caustic ingestions. We coordinate each child's evaluations, as well as operative and diagnostic procedures, so each patient can be evaluated at one time by our renowned team of specialists. Read more.

An important treatment for infants and children with cardiorespiratory failure.  ECMO involves the use of an artificial lung (membrane) located outside the body (extracorporeal) that puts oxygen into the blood and carries it  to the body tissues (oxygenation).

The ECMO program at Cincinnati Children’s was one of the earliest such treatment centers in the nation and has benefited more than 500 children since its inception in 1985.  The ECMO program has also been awarded the Excellence in Life Support Award, which recognizes ECMO programs internationally  that reach the highest level of performance, innovation, satisfaction and quality. Read more.

One of only three facilities in the United States that is considered a national referral center for children and young adults with complex hemangiomas, other rare vascular tumors and vascular malformations. The center currently follows about 2,000 patients, adding about 450 new patients each year.

The Hemangioma and Vascular Malformation Program is a partnership between the Cincinnati Children’s Hematology / Oncology Division and the Division of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery. The center’s multidisciplinary team specializes in establishing an accurate diagnosis, something that can be challenging due to the complex nature of these conditions.

An accurate diagnosis is important because it allows the team to develop the most effective treatment plan. Read more.

The Intestinal Rehabilitation Program (IRP) is a multidisciplinary program that provides consultation, management and long-term follow-up for children and their families coping with intestinal failure and short bowel syndrome.

The program treats patients from all over the world; we’ve grown into a respected leader in the field, thanks to our innovative and multidisciplinary approach to reaching the best outcomes for our patients and their families. Read more.

The Pancreas Care Center at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital provides focused, multidisciplinary care for children with pancreatic disorders. Our team is led by pediatric gastroenterologists and pediatric surgeons and also includes physicians from the pain management, endocrinology, oncology, and radiology departments. These experts work closely with the center’s genetics counselors, pain psychologists, dietitians, nurses and social workers to address patient needs. Staff will meet with families to discuss specific findings and individual treatment recommendations.

We are one of the only centers in the United States that is dedicated to caring for children with pancreatic diseases. and one of only a few hospitals in the country offering total pancreatectomy and islet auto-transplantation (TPIAT) for children with debilitating chronic pancreatitis. Read more.

With the increasing use of high-resolution ultrasonography on expectant mothers, many congenital (present at birth) conditions are now detected before birth. Pediatric surgeons have special training in the surgical repair and postoperative management of these conditions. To assure the best possible clinical outcomes, they work closely with neonatologists, obstetricians and physicians who specialize in maternal fetal medicine.

Before delivery, pediatric surgeons meet with expectant mothers and their partners, providing them with an understanding of the developmental abnormalities and discussing possible corrective operative procedures that their newborn will need to undergo. After delivery, newborns are transferred to Cincinnati Children’s to undergo the prescribed surgery. Read more.

At the Chest Wall Center of Cincinnati, we house a staff of experienced and educated surgeons who utilize the latest surgical techniques to provide the highest quality of care.  In addition to accepting adult pectus patients, we are proud to be one of the only facilities in the nation to conducting ongoing research on individualized pain management. We drive collaborative efforts with numerous departments such as Anesthesia, Radiology, and Orthopedics to provide care that encompasses all aspects of our patients' needs. Read More.

Pediatric surgeons in the Division of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery  work closely with the physicians in the Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute to establish tumor diagnosis, assess the stage of a tumor (how far it has spread), plan the appropriate therapy (surgery, chemotherapy,  radiation) and plan the proper timing of surgery.

Together with pediatric medical oncologists, they manage children with solid tumors, including neuroblastoma; nephroblastoma (Wilms tumor); rhabdomyosarcoma; teratomas; and other solid abdominal, pelvic, thoracic, cervical and extremity tumors.

Pediatric surgeons also perform surgery to place central venous lines or ports. These devices are implanted under the skin, enabling chemotherapy to be given in a less painful and more effective way.
Read more.

 The Division of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery has a new program that addresses the needs of patients with hernias, moles, cysts and other common conditions. Combined with telephone follow up, we are proud to offer our Same Day Evaluation and Procedure program.  With an extremely effective team of experienced surgeons and staff, this unique program now provides families the ability to schedule a surgical consult and surgical procedure to take place all on the same day. Read More.

Offers surgical weight loss options, including gastric bypass surgery, sleeve gastrectomy and adjustable gastric banding (e.g. Realize Band) for adolescents who suffer from extreme obesity and who have been unsuccessful in achieving sustained weight loss.  The Surgical Weight Loss Program for Teens collaborates with experts in the Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology to assess whether surgery is an appropriate choice for prospective patients. Read more.

Cincinnati Children’s was the first pediatric center in Ohio to develop transplantation programs for kidney (1965), liver (1985) and small bowel (2001). 

Since the inception of these programs, faculty in the Division of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery have played a major role. Faculty in the renal (kidney) transplantation program have performed  more than 475 transplants (cadaver or living donor). Read more. 

The Pediatric Liver Care Center and Liver Transplant Center bring together all aspects of liver care, offering new and innovative treatments and intensive research. The Liver Transplant Center is one of only several centers that perform transplants on children under 10 pounds, and more than half of the patients who have received transplants are younger than 2 years of age.   Faculty members at Cincinnati Children’s have performed more than 500 liver transplants. The current one-year patient survival rate is greater than 90 percent. Read more.

The Small Bowel Transplantation program performs isolated intestine transplants, combined liver and intestine transplants and multivisceral (liver, pancreas and intestine) transplants.   Faculty members have performed more than 35 small bowel transplants.  The current one-year patient survival rate is greater than 50 percent. Read more.

Trauma Services has pursued excellence in all aspects of pediatric trauma care since its inception in 1990.  Trauma Services’ mission is to eliminate injury as the leading cause of death and illness among children by relentlessly pursuing comprehensive injury prevention, the highest level of injury care and the cutting-edge of injury research.

The division’s pediatric trauma program is designated by the American College of Surgeons as a  Level 1 program, which guarantees immediate availability and dedication of specialized pediatric surgeons, anesthesiologists, physician specialists, nurses, pediatric resuscitation equipment and operating room availability 24 hours a day.  It is the only Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Team in Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana.  The trauma team provides and coordinates comprehensive care for traumatically injured children, assuring their physical and emotional rehabilitation. Read more.