Pediatric General Surgery Procedures

At Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone, our surgeons specialize in all forms of pediatric general surgery, including procedures to treat children who have congenital abnormalities, cancer, and conditions that affect the digestive system, urinary system, chest wall, and lungs. We also use innovative techniques to make your child feel as comfortable as possible after surgery.

Surgery for Newborns

When an infant in the womb is diagnosed with a congenital condition, our doctors provide the surgical care your baby needs after birth. Our involvement begins during pregnancy, when we work with your maternal–fetal medicine specialist and other pediatric experts to create a plan for your baby’s treatment after birth.

Congenital conditions we treat in newborns include the following:

  • biliary atresia, in which bile flow from the liver to the gallbladder is blocked
  • congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM), also known as congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (CCAM), which causes cysts to form in the lungs that can affect breathing
  • congenital pulmonary sequestration, which results in abnormal lung development
  • diaphragmatic hernia, which is a hole that allows organs to move from the abdomen into the chest cavity
  • gastrointestinal conditions caused by blockages or abnormal connections between organs, including choledochal cysts, esophageal atresia, intestinal duplications, intestinal atresia, and tracheoesophageal fistula
  • gastroschisis and omphalocele, in which organs move through holes in the abdominal wall
  • urinary conditions including hydronephrosis, ureteropelvic junction obstruction, congenital megaureter, ureteroceles, and posterior urethral valves

We meet with parents before birth to help you understand your baby’s diagnosis, the recommended treatment plan, and what you can expect after delivery and after your baby’s surgery. We answer your questions and provide the support you need throughout your baby’s treatment and recovery.

Colon, Rectum, and Anus Surgery

When the colon, anus, and rectum do not connect or develop properly, surgical repair is needed to ensure that stool can move out of the body. Two common conditions we treat are anal atresia, also knowns as imperforate anus, and Hirschsprung disease.

Fecal incontinence, which makes it difficult for your child to control his or her bowel movements, can result from these conditions. Through our bowel management program, our multidisciplinary team helps manage the lifestyle challenges that can occur with fecal incontinence. We provide family-centered treatment plans that teach children how to have controlled bowel movements and recommend medications and surgical treatments as necessary.

Chest Wall, Esophagus, and Lung Surgery

Our surgeons have developed innovative approaches to treating congenital and acquired conditions of the chest wall, esophagus, and lungs. This includes Nissen fundoplication, a procedure that reinforces the esophageal sphincter and is used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and hiatal hernia.

Our surgeons use minimally invasive approaches, including the Nuss procedure, to treat adolescents who have chest wall abnormalities such as pectus excavatum and pectus carinatum, which cause the breastbone to protrude inward or outward, respectively.

Comprehensive General Surgery Care

In addition, we perform all pediatric general surgery procedures, including the following:

  • biopsy and surgery to treat cancer and tumors such as neuroblastoma, hepatoblastoma, Wilms tumor, rhabdomyosarcoma, germ cell tumor, and teratoma
  • hernia and hydrocele (scrotal swelling) repair
  • treatment for undescended testicles
  • surgery for appendicitis
  • surgery to treat conditions affecting the intestine, spleen, liver, and gallbladder
  • pancreatic and adrenal surgery
  • removal of branchial cleft remnants and thyroglossal duct cysts that occur in the neck
  • surgical treatment for pediatric ovarian conditions
  • surgery for disorders of sexual development (DSD) such as hypospadias, in which the opening of the urethra is not located at the tip of penis
  • pediatric thyroid surgical procedures
  • treatment for vascular malformations, which are types of birthmarks, and lymphatic malformations, which cause cysts to form in various parts of the body
  • minimally invasive treatment of varicoceles
  • circumcision
  • ovarian surgery

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation

General surgeons provide extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for infants and children who need help breathing. ECMO is a process that performs the work of your child’s heart and lungs—oxygenating blood and then circulating it through the body.

ECMO is used to care for newborns with meconium aspiration, which occurs when fecal matter enters the lungs during childbirth. ECMO is also used for infants who have respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, or congenital diaphragmatic hernia, a condition that leaves an opening in the diaphragm, allowing stomach contents to enter the chest.

Contact Us

To learn more about pediatric general surgery at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital, please call 212-263-7391.