Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital

The Division of General Surgery at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital provides outstanding surgical care for newborns, infants, children and adolescents. Our pediatric surgeons routinely perform outpatient and inpatient procedures, including neck, chest, abdominal and soft tissue surgeries. We understand that performing surgery on a pediatric patient is not the same as performing surgery on an adult. That is why we go to great lengths to offer children the world-class, specialized care they need in a child-friendly environment.

Additional General Surgery services offered at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital include:

ECMO Program

ECMO stands for Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation. It is an advanced form of life support used to treat pediatric patients whose heart and lungs can no longer function. This technology is used as a replacement for the heart and lung in critically ill children. It is also used to support patients who are awaiting surgery, or after surgery when a child's vital organs need time to recover.

The ECMO Program at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital is committed to supporting critically ill children. Doctors, nurses and other highly trained medical professionals representing a variety of specialties work together in the effort to provide outstanding ECMO care to our patients.

In many cases, ECMO is an important lifesaving surgical and medical treatment. Infants receiving ECMO treatment are monitored by ECMO specialists 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our experienced ECMO specialists are equipped to provide newborn patients with individualized care, monitoring and attention.

Nuss Procedure for Pectus Excavatum

Pectus excavatum is a deformity of the chest wall that gives the child's chest a sunken appearance. In severe cases of pectus excavatum, the child may experience shortness of breath, chest pain or other symptoms.

The Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum is a minimally invasive procedure where a curved steel bar is placed under the sternum. This procedure is considerably less invasive than previous procedures.

Children receive general anesthesia, as well as pain medication, during and after the surgery. After making a minimally invasive chest incision, the surgeon places a custom-made bar under the sternum to lift the sternum and mold the chest.

Should a child require the Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum, we provide extensive information about the procedure and instructions for recovery.