While you hope your child or teen never needs surgery, when they do, you
want the highest quality and most appropriate care tailored to their specific
situation from healthcare professionals with the special training to deliver
exceptional surgical care for children.
Innovative, Child-Focused Surgical Care Close to Home
At OU Health in Oklahoma City, you’ll find the highly trained and
experienced pediatric surgery experts, who perform more than 1,800 pediatric
surgeries each year, as well as comprehensive surgical services and advanced
surgical technologies available only at Oklahoma’s academic health system.
Comprehensive Care Backed by Research
Committed to caring for children 24/7, your child’s pediatric surgeons
take a team-based approach to care that gives you access to multiple health
disciplines and specialties for a complete view of your child’s
particular condition. You gain access to extensive research and leading
clinical trials that develop powerful medicines and innovative procedures
to expand your child’s options for health and healing.
Multidisciplinary Team-Based Approach to Care
When you choose pediatric surgical services from Oklahoma Children’s
Hospital at OU Health, you and your child benefit from family-centered
care that makes you a valued member of your child’s multidisciplinary
surgery team, involved in all aspects of care from your first introduction
through the time you return home. You can depend on the surgeon and the
pediatric surgery team to follow up with you directly, monitor your child’s
progress and oversee all aspects of care, large or small, for as long
as necessary.
Top-Quality Surgery for Children’s Health Conditions
If your child needs a surgical procedure, the pediatric surgery experts
at The Children’s Hospital at OU Health stand ready to provide care
for the full spectrum of routine and complex children’s health conditions such as:
From surgical equipment designed for pediatric procedures and the region’s
only fellowship-trained pediatric anesthesiologists to the private rooms
where you can stay with your child and provide comfort, everything at
The Children’s Hospital at OU Health works for your child. As you
consider your child’s health needs, you can take advantage of surgical
procedures for a wide range of conditions, including many types of cancer,
as well as neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, organ transplant and many more.
You’re assured of accurate diagnosis and monitoring through pediatric-specific
imaging and radiology services that help doctors evaluate your child’s
condition and determine the next steps in their care. And if needed for
a serious health issue, our
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) provides round-the-clock care for the most critically ill children.
Child Life Specialists
Helping to make your child’s surgery and hospital experience at OU
Health as understandable and close to normal as possible, certified Child
Life specialists at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital use developmentally
appropriate language and interactive dolls to explain the process and
demonstrate what to expect.
One of the many surgical specialties and subspecialties, pediatric general
surgery focuses on conditions affecting children’s digestive health,
including the esophagus and stomach, as well as other organs and muscles
in the abdomen. General surgeons also treat thyroid conditions, diseases
of the skin, breast and soft tissues, and thoracic complaints and they
perform trauma-related surgery.
When you work with OU Health’s dedicated pediatric general surgeons,
you gain access to the specialized services and resources of Oklahoma
Children’s Hospital at OU Health in Oklahoma City. And your child
benefits from the skilled healthcare professionals, research, innovation,
technology and tools of our academic medical center that produce the best
possible outcomes for your child’s particular situation.
Whether we’re your child’s first and only experience with a
medical procedure or we become like family and see you and your child
for extended hospital stays throughout their childhood, you can expect
clear communication, compassion, confidence and trustworthy leadership
to deal with any situation or level of care, no matter how complex.
Advances in medical technology and surgical techniques allow many health
conditions to respond well to less invasive surgical procedures that no
longer require a hospital stay.
At OU Health, outpatient (same-day) surgery lets you take advantage of
the full range of services at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital while
your child typically returns home later the same day to fully recover.
You and your child’s OU Health doctors and surgical team will determine
whether to use
same-day surgery for your child’s procedure.
Upon discharge from a same-day surgical procedure, you’ll receive
instructions about how to care for your child during postoperative recovery,
any medications needed and the plans for follow-up appointments with the
appropriate physicians.
Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery
To treat your child’s congenital heart condition, with all its unique
aspects, you want the best of everything. At the all-inclusive Oklahoma
Children’s Hospital at OU Health in Oklahoma City, you’ll
find Oklahoma’s first and only comprehensive children’s cardiothoracic
surgery program designed specifically and only for cardiac kids. Through
the extensive experience gained by treating hundreds of children each
year and the focused attention on children’s heart care, you can
look forward to results at OU Health that meet or exceed the achievements
of some of the most successful programs in the nation.
With access to highly trained pediatric cardiothoracic surgeons and specialized
operating rooms, anesthesia, cardiac ICU facilities and around-the-clock
intensive care at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital, you and your child
benefit from a wide range of options to care for any heart condition,
from relatively minor to highly complex.
Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery
In addition to traditional open surgery, your child’s condition may
respond to an alternative approach that eliminates the need for an incision
through the breastbone. Using either laparoscopic or robotic-assisted
techniques, your child’s skilled surgeon works with tiny precision
tools through small incisions in the rib cage, which means your child
typically experiences less pain and discomfort, as well as a quicker recovery.
Specialized Pediatric Heart Surgery Services
Pediatric cardiothoracic surgical procedures at OU Health include:
Neonatal and infant cardiac surgery – Repairs congenital and other defects in the heart or large blood
vessels connected to it
Single ventricle surgery – Creates alternative method for blood circulation through the heart
in a series of three surgeries between birth and age 3
Congenital coronary anomaly – Repairs misplaced coronary arteries connected to the aorta
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) – Provides breathing and heart function support during extended
treatment for serious heart or lung conditions
Mononuclear cell therapy for hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) – Boosts right-side heart performance in preparation for potential
surgical intervention
Learn more about
pediatric cardiac and vascular surgery at OU Health. You also may want to participate with us in the Oklahoma
City chapter of
Mended Little Hearts, an online community for children, families and caregivers living with
pediatric heart conditions.
Pediatric Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
With the tremendous advances in today’s plastic and reconstructive
surgery, you and your family can shift from heartache to hope. If your
child lives with a health condition or injury that would benefit from
a plastic or reconstructive surgical procedure, you’ll find the
best resources close to home at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital at
OU Health in Oklahoma City.
At OU Health, you gain access to Oklahoma’s only comprehensive pediatric
plastic and reconstructive surgery care team, as well as groundbreaking
research, including a craniofacial imaging research center – one
of only a few of its kind in the world – where dedicated specialists
treat rare and unique pediatric conditions.
Take advantage of a wide range of plastic and reconstructive surgery services
for children and teens including:
Cleft lip and cleft palate repair – Primary and secondary repair of cleft lip and cleft palate
Facial and skull surgery – Complex craniofacial syndromes, including craniosynostosis and
hemifacial microsomia; congenital asymmetry of the face; distraction osteogenesis
for small upper and lower jaw and Pierre Robin syndrome
Nose surgery – Rhinoplasty; obstructive sleep apnea correction
Speech disorder correction – Pharyngeal flap repair and pharyngoplasty for velopharyngeal incompetence
When your child experiences a traumatic injury, make your first thought
about OU Health, Oklahoma’s only Level I trauma center, nationally
verified by the American College of Surgeons (ACoS) to provide the highest
level of care anywhere.
Because every second counts, you can rely on the dedicated trauma surgeons
and emergency specialists at OU Health’s Trauma One Center –
in fully equipped, comprehensive care teams stationed at the hospital
24 hours a day – to treat the most critical injuries immediately.
As a parent or designated caregiver, you’re included in your child’s
care and encouraged to provide any portion of it you feel you can manage.
While your child stays in the hospital, physicians make formal rounds
each morning to meet with you and your child’s care team.
Your child’s nurses complete an assessment every four hours and more
often as needed. If permitted by doctor’s orders, your child always
has access to snacks or you may request meals delivered to the room.
Preparing for My Child’s Surgery
Before surgery, your child’s doctor will give you specific instructions
on what you should bring, what your child should wear and when your child
can eat. To assure that your child can proceed with surgery while remaining
as safe as possible throughout the process, you must carefully follow
all instructions.
Instructions for Food or Drink Before Surgery
For a period of time before surgery, your child can have nothing to eat
or drink. Your doctor may use the term “NPO,” which means
“nothing by mouth.”
No food or milk products after midnight the day of surgery.
Two hours before arriving at the hospital, your child may have only clear
liquids – any drink you can see through, such as Sprite, 7-Up, ginger
ale, apple juice, water or Pedialyte.
If your child drinks
breast milk, you may feed until
4 hours before arriving at the hospital.
If your child drinks
formula, you may feed until
6 hours before arriving at the hospital.
As you get ready to bring your child to the hospital, follow the guidelines below.
What to Bring
Bring a favorite toy or blanket and information about your child’s
medications. Always prepare to spend one night at the hospital, “just
in case.” A small overnight bag might include toothbrush and toothpaste,
hairbrush, comfortable clothes, undergarments, pajamas, and socks or slippers.
Do not bring any valuable items.
Where Your Child Goes After Surgery
Immediately after surgery, your child goes to the Post Anesthesia Care
Unit (PACU), also known as the recovery room, to wake up. The process
may take an hour or more. Depending on the procedure and the doctor performing
the surgery, your child may spend the night in one of our comfortable
private rooms or they may be discharged to go home.
When You Can Stay Overnight or Visit
If your child spends the night in the hospital, you’re encouraged
to stay with them. One parent can always stay through the night. Your
child won’t need to share a room because all pediatric patient rooms
are private.
Visiting hours for the Outpatient Surgery area or the Recovery Room are
flexible, with parents welcome at all times. Other visitors can take advantage
of our spacious waiting room, although some restrictions may apply to
visitors after 9 p.m.
More Information to Help You & Your Child Prepare for Surgery
Download and review the information below to help you prepare yourself
and your child for an upcoming surgical procedure at Oklahoma Children’s
Hospital at OU Health:
In addition to OU Health board-certified and fellowship-trained pediatric
surgery specialists and subspecialists, as well as the region’s
only fellowship-trained pediatric anesthesiologists, your child’s
surgical care team may include professionals from multiple healthcare
disciplines who also hold pediatric-specific training.
Depending on your child’s particular situation, your surgery care
team may involve pediatric radiologists, emergency specialists, nursing
care and support services, such as Child Life specialists.
Request an Appointment or Referral
Find out more about OU Health pediatric surgery services at The Children’s
Hospital in Oklahoma City or ask your primary care doctor for a referral
to the children’s surgery specialists at OU Health.
