Pediatric surgery: Difference between revisions
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Pediatric surgery arose when medical doctors recognized that children, especially infants and newborns have different medical and surgical needs compared to that of an adult. This reason for this discovery is because children have lower immunity to viruses compared to that of the adults, so children are more likely to easily catch a sickness. Children also react differently to certain treatments and they tend to need extra care, so pediatric surgery was created especially for the children so that they could be treated faster and they would have more care. |
Pediatric surgery arose when medical doctors recognized that children, especially infants and newborns have different medical and surgical needs compared to that of an adult. This reason for this discovery is because children have lower immunity to viruses compared to that of the adults, so children are more likely to easily catch a sickness. Children also react differently to certain treatments and they tend to need extra care, so pediatric surgery was created especially for the children so that they could be treated faster and they would have more care. |
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In order to become a pediatric surgeon, you have to earn a pre-medical degree (usually in biology or chemistry), a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree, a residency (beginning with a 1-year rotating internship), and a fellowship. First of all, one must finish a college degree with a certain number of units required in Advanced Biology, Anatomy/Physiology, Microbiology, Genetics, English, Math (Algebra, Trigonometry, Calculus I and II, and Research Statistics), University-level Physics, Biological Physics, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Biochemistry. Pre-medical degree programs usually take 4 to 5 years, sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on the school and how quickly you meet the applicable degree requirements. Next is the medical school education proper, which usually takes another 4 years so that you can get your medical degree. Before you can get into Medical School after finishing your undergraduate pre-medical degree, you must take the MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test). After medical school, you have to complete at least 5 years of residency in general surgery. Since this is pediatric surgery, after the 5-year residency comes another 3 years for the pediatric surgery training, followed by another one to three years or more in fellowship training in pediatric surgery- maybe even another fellowship after that. So all in all its around 16 years- at least- to become a pediatric surgeon. |
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Pediatric surgery arose in the middle of the 20th century as the surgical care of [[birth defect]]s required novel techniques and methods and became more commonly based at children's hospitals. One of the sites of this innovation was [[Children's Hospital of Philadelphia]]. Beginning in the 1940s under the surgical leadership of [[C. Everett Koop]], newer techniques for endotracheal [[anesthesia]] of infants allowed surgical repair of previously untreatable birth defects. By the late 1970s, the infant death rate from several major congenital malformation [[syndrome]]s had been reduced to near zero. |
Pediatric surgery arose in the middle of the 20th century as the surgical care of [[birth defect]]s required novel techniques and methods and became more commonly based at children's hospitals. One of the sites of this innovation was [[Children's Hospital of Philadelphia]]. Beginning in the 1940s under the surgical leadership of [[C. Everett Koop]], newer techniques for endotracheal [[anesthesia]] of infants allowed surgical repair of previously untreatable birth defects. By the late 1970s, the infant death rate from several major congenital malformation [[syndrome]]s had been reduced to near zero. |
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Revision as of 22:56, 22 July 2011
| Occupation | |
|---|---|
| Names | Doctor, Medical Specialist |
Occupation type | Specialty |
Activity sectors | Surgery |
| Description | |
Education required | Degree in Medicine, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine |
Fields of employment | Hospitals, Clinics |
Pediatric surgery (AE) or paediatric surgery (BE) is a subspecialty of surgery involving the surgery of fetuses, infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. Many pediatric surgeons practice at children's hospitals.
Pediatric surgery arose when medical doctors recognized that children, especially infants and newborns have different medical and surgical needs compared to that of an adult. This reason for this discovery is because children have lower immunity to viruses compared to that of the adults, so children are more likely to easily catch a sickness. Children also react differently to certain treatments and they tend to need extra care, so pediatric surgery was created especially for the children so that they could be treated faster and they would have more care.
Pediatric surgery arose in the middle of the 20th century as the surgical care of birth defects required novel techniques and methods and became more commonly based at children's hospitals. One of the sites of this innovation was Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Beginning in the 1940s under the surgical leadership of C. Everett Koop, newer techniques for endotracheal anesthesia of infants allowed surgical repair of previously untreatable birth defects. By the late 1970s, the infant death rate from several major congenital malformation syndromes had been reduced to near zero.
Subspecialties of pediatric surgery itself include: neonatal surgery and fetal surgery.
Other areas of surgery also have pediatric specialties of their own that require further training during the residencies and in a fellowship: pediatric cardiothoracic (surgery on the child's heart and/or lungs, including heart and/or lung transplantation), pediatric nephrological surgery (surgery on the child's kidneys and ureters, including renal, or kidney, transplantation), pediatric neurosurgery (surgery on the child's brain, central nervous system, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves), pediatric urological surgery (surgery on the child's urinary bladder and other structures below the kidney necessary for urination), pediatric emergency surgery, surgery involving fetuses or embryos (overlapping with obstetric/gynecological surgery, neonatology, and maternal-fetal medicine), surgery involving adolescents or young adults, pediatric hepatological (liver) and gastrointestinal (stomach and intestines) surgery (including liver and intestinal transplantation in children), pediatric orthopedic surgery (muscle and bone surgery in children), pediatric plastic and reconstructive surgery (such as for burns, or for congenital defects like cleft palate not involving the major organs), and pediatric oncological (childhood cancer) surgery.
Common pediatric diseases that may require pediatric surgery include
- congenital malformations: lymphangioma, cleft lip and palate, esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula, hypertrophic pyloric stenosis, intestinal atresia, necrotizing enterocolitis, meconium plugs, Hirschsprung's disease, imperforate anus, undescended testes,...
- abdominal wall defects: omphalocele, gastroschisis, hernias,...
- chest wall deformities: pectus excavatum
- childhood tumors: like neuroblastoma, Wilms' tumor, rhabdomyosarcoma, ATRT, liver tumors, teratomas,...
- Separation of conjoined twins
See also
- William E. Ladd known as the 'father' of pediatric surgery.
External links
- Pediatric Surgery Tutorial with 2700 Photos and 20 Videos - English and German
- OnLine Pediatric Surgery Handbook
- The American Pediatric Surgical Association
- The Canadian Association of Paediatric Surgeons - L'Association Canadienne de Chirurgie pédiatrique
