Surgery

At Advocate Hope Children's Hospital, the surgical care of pediatric patients is performed by surgeons with special expertise in childhood diseases. Our surgeons have a thorough understanding of a child's physiology during growth and development, from the premature infant to the adolescent.

Surgical capabilities include cardiac surgery, neurosurgery, plastic surgery and the full range of thoracic procedures for congenital anomalies, childhood tumors, and gastrointestinal, pulmonary and chest wall conditions. In addition, we are a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center and provide emergency treatment for the injured child. In the surgical pavilion, shared with Advocate Christ Medical Center, our surgeons utilize state-of-the-art techniques and instrumentation, such as laparoscopy and thoracoscopy. The pediatric surgical team includes anesthesiologists, nurses, intensivists and other pediatric specialists, who participate in the care of children with simple or very complex surgical problems.

The staff of Hope Children's Hospital uses a variety of methods for treatment of post-operative pain, including local and regional anesthesia, patient controlled analgesia, and a variety of medications which are safe and effective.

Care of a sick child cannot be accomplished without full involvement of the parents and families. We make every effort to integrate the child's family into the surgical management process and to provide them with a supportive environment. Programs, such as the Wee Care Surgery Orientation and Tour, give a child and family an opportunity to visit the operating room and meet with staff prior to a scheduled procedure. Liberal visitation policies allow families in the pre-operative unit and a parent in the recovery room. Parents are welcomed and encouraged to stay with their child at Hope Children's Hospital if admission is necessary. The majority of our surgical procedures are performed on an outpatient basis.