programs and services
Your child deserves the best possible care. We can treat your child from prenatal consultations through young adulthood. Our doctors are specially trained in pediatric surgical services to provide superior pediatric focused treatments and surgical techniques.
Our services include a full range of pediatric inpatient and outpatient procedures that include, but are not limited to:
general surgery
Pediatric surgeons see surgical problems that are often quite different from those seen by adult or general surgeons. Special training is important! Dayton Children’s is the only hospital in the region with pediatric surgeons on its staff. In addition to caring for patients, our pediatric surgeons train surgical residents and medical students from Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine and other institutions in the Midwest.
The surgical facilities at Dayton Children’s are designed for kids. For instance, our surgeons use medical equipment that is designed for children of all sizes. Our child-friendly pre- and post-operative rooms are equipped with televisions, games and toys to help distract patients and put them at ease. Our caring team focuses on making patients and their families feel as comfortable and relaxed as possible throughout their stay.
virtual care
Video visits at Dayton Children's provide you and your child with a convenient, hassle-free environment for your appointment. Video visits are just like an office visit, only from the comfort of your home! Using video conferencing technology (similar to FaceTime or Google Meet) allows you to have an appointment from your mobile device or personal computer without the need to commute. If your child has an upcoming appointment, ask if a video visit is an option for care. Call 937-641-3000 Learn more about video visits
same-day evaluation and procedure program
The pediatric surgery department at Dayton Children’s offers a program to address the needs of patients with epigastric, inguinal and umbilical hernias as well as circumcision and frenulectomy. The program allows families the ability to schedule a surgical consult and surgical hernia repair on the same day!
Program benefits:
• Minimizes time away from school and work
• Surgery is performed on a Friday; most kids recover over the weekend and return to school the following Monday
• Reduced office visits including post-op visit. Families have the option to receive a phone call or make an appointment
vascular anomalies clinic
The vascular anomalies clinic at Dayton Children’s Hospital is comprised of specialists from hematology/oncology, ENT, plastic surgery, pediatric surgery and interventional radiology.
Our comprehensive team has expertise in the diagnosis, management and treatment of vascular anomalies, including hemangiomas and vascular tumors. The clinic sees patients on the third Tuesday of the month in the hematology/oncology outpatient clinic at Dayton Children’s main campus.
minimally invasive surgeries
Many surgeries that take place at Dayton Children’s are minimally invasive, meaning they do not involve making an open incision. Instead, the surgeon uses advanced laparoscopic equipment and high-definition video screens to perform these procedures on children. Minimally invasive procedures offer many benefits, including faster healing, less pain/pain medication, less scarring and quicker recovery. Our surgeons have received additional training to be able to perform these procedures and work with a specially trained, experienced team of surgical nurses in the operating room.
newborn surgery
Our pediatric surgeons work closely with obstetricians and maternal-fetal medicine specialists at other hospitals to provide exceptional care for newborns who may need surgery after birth to repair defects in the abdomen, chest, and neck.
In some cases, a routine prenatal ultrasound reveals problems that may require surgery soon after birth. When this is the case, the surgeon can have a prenatal consultation with the mother to discuss what is ahead and how to prepare. Newborns who need surgery are transferred from the birthing hospital to Dayton Children’s soon after delivery. Our specially trained pediatric surgeons use the most advanced surgical equipment to perform complex procedures. They are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide surgical care.
Dayton Children’s is part of the Fetal to Newborn Center, which provides comprehensive care for women facing a complex fetal condition or high-risk pregnancy. Learn more.
congenital gastrointestinal surgery program
Dayton Children's congenital gastrointestinal surgery program combines the expertise of pediatric surgery and the division of gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition to provide a seamless continuum of care for babies born with complex gastrointestinal issues. Learn more.
trauma care
Our team’s expertise extends to trauma care - Dayton Children’s is the only hospital in the region certified as a Level I facility by the American College of Surgeons. Pediatric surgeons are available at Dayton Children’s around the clock to care for children who have a traumatic injury or any other emergent need. They provide immediate assessment, care coordination and, if needed, perform surgery, working closely with the entire trauma team.
advanced wound and burn care
Our wound and burn care program is designed for children who have burns involving less than 50 percent of their body surface. When a child comes to Dayton Children’s with burns over more than 50 percent of their body surface, our team stabilizes them, then transfers them to a hospital that is equipped to care for more serious burns. After discharge from that hospital, these patients can receive follow-up care at Dayton Children’s, including outpatient care and reconstructive surgery. Learn more
pediatric anesthesiology
Our anesthesiologists provide services to all children who experience a surgical procedure at the medical center. They are also involved in providing preoperative assessment and acute post-operative pain management.
Pediatric anesthesiologists receive special training beyond their anesthesiology residency to provide anesthesia care for infants and children. A pediatric anesthesiologist is best qualified to evaluate medical problems affecting children and plan a safe anesthetic for each child. Learn more
ECMO to CDH
Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is frequently diagnosed prenatally. A small percentage of these babies are born with life-threatening pulmonary hypertension and the only treatment is ECMO (Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation). ECMO treatment is given after all other treatments have been tried and failed, including nitric oxide and high-frequency ventilation. With ECMO, blood from the baby's vein is pumped through an artificial lung where oxygen is added and carbon dioxide is removed. The blood is then returned back to the baby.
ECMO cannulation is a highly technical procedure with obvious risks. The appropriate time to repair the CDH while on ECMO is determined individually. The repair of the CDH can be done open or minimally invasive. Dayton Children's cannulates newborns that require ECMO for non-surgical reasons as well as those that require surgical intervention at a later time.
ECMO is only used in specialized NICUs. The pediatric surgery division at Dayton Children’s partners with the Miami Valley Hospital ECMO program for cannulation and patient management.
child life specialists
These specially trained team members provide toys, crafts, movies and games for children during their hospital stay. Through play and other activities, child life specialists help prepare children emotionally and mentally for medical procedures.
Our child life specialist in surgery helps children both before and after surgery. She works with patients to talk through what is going to happen in surgery and provides distraction techniques. For children with special needs our child life specialist will contact the family prior to their surgery to discuss coping strategies for before and after surgery. Learn more
fetal/newborn consults
We offer high-risk pregnancy consultation services with a specialized nurse navigator to guide you from through the process – from diagnosis to delivery. Our specialized team works closely with mothers and families, answering questions, offering support and counseling, and providing advanced options for care and treatment. We’ll guide you through the journey so you can simply focus on the bond between you and your baby.
Learn more about our relationship with the Fetal to Newborn Center
chest wall malformations center
The pediatric surgery team at Dayton Children's has the experience and skill to treat patients with chest wall disorders, like pectus excavatum and pectus carinatum. With the establishment of the chest wall malformations center, we now have the ability to offer our chest wall patients the latest equipment, technology and pain management to treat their disorder.
Learn more about the chest wall malformations center
