FAQs
The following questions may help parents of a child who requires Surgery. If you have any further suggestions please do not hesitate to contact us.
FAQs
What other surgeons treat children?
There are many branches of surgery that treat children. These include Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery (ENT), orthopaedic surgery, plastic surgery, cardiac surgery, neurosurgery and ophthalmic surgery. Cardiac surgery, plastic surgery and neurosurgery are always based a large regional hospitals or childrenās hospitals and within those departments there are surgeons who treat mostly or only children. ENT and orthopaedic surgery takes place at District General Hospitals as well as at specialist centres. In most hospitals surgeons in these specialities will treat both adults and children but in many regional hospitals and childrenās hospitals there will be surgeons who exclusively treat children (eg Paediatric orthopaedic surgeons).
Who decides if my child sees a general or specialist paediatric surgeon?
General paediatric surgeon
This is the term used to describe an adult general surgeon who treats children. Most adult surgeons do not treat children but in each District General Hospital there should be one or more general surgeon who treats the common minor surgical problems in children. Ideally such surgeons will have had at least 6 months training in a specialist paediatric surgical centre. They should provide dedicated childrenās facilities for day surgery and work closely with medical paediatricians.
Specialist paediatric surgeon
This is someone who only treats children. Such surgeons are generally based in large regional hospitals or childrenās hospitals. They will have had at least 6 years training in the surgery of children. Although some of their work is the minor surgery of children (eg hernia repair, surgery for undescended testis, appendicitis etc) their main role is in the complex surgery of the newborn (neonatal surgery), major surgical diseases of children and surgery in children with complex medical disorders. These surgeons work with specialist paediatric anaesthetists and nurses
What is a Paediatric Surgeon
Paediatric surgery is the surgery of children. Many surgical specialities involve children but the term Paediatric Surgeon is used to describe a general surgeon (rather than an ENT, orthopaedic surgeon etc) who treats children. There are two recognised type of paediatric surgeons, specialist paediatric surgeons and general paediatric surgeons