Children have many of the same surgical needs as adults — appendicitis, gall bladder issues, trauma. There is one big difference. “These needs occur in the smallest and most helpless among us,” says Eric Lazar, MD, pediatric surgeon, board-certified by the American Board of Surgery and chief of children’s surgery for Goryeb Children’s Hospital.
Pediatric Surgeons Are Highly Specialized
“Pediatric surgeons do everything for children that an adult surgeon would do for an adult. But there are things that are unique to childhood, including congenital anomalies and a number of tumors that don’t occur in adults. This is why you need someone who is well-qualified and specializes in children.”
And even though “we are close to many well-known children’s hospitals,” Dr. Lazar says, there is no need to leave home for great care. “Nearly all our surgeons have trained at the country’s premier institutions and have converged here because they all feel the same thing – the people of this region deserve the best care in their neighborhood,” Dr. Lazar says. “At those centers there are hundreds of children and hundreds of doctors, many of whom specialize in one square inch of a child’s anatomy. We focus on the whole family and the whole patient.”
Coordinating a Community of Care
When you are treating a child, you never have a single person in your care, Dr. Lazar explains. “Sometimes the family these days is very extended,” he says. “There may be two sets of grandparents, and mom and dad may each have a new partner. You can’t take everyone to another city for three months while a child is recovering. We believe the best way to make sure each child has a good outcome is to coordinate care around that child and form a ‘help community’ to get them better.”
The family’s regular clinical care team is also included, Dr. Lazar says. “Our patients already have their relationship with their pediatrician. We are new to that team, and we work carefully to keep everyone in the loop. Our electronic medical record system allows those doctors to see moment to moment what your progress is. When you go back to your pediatrician and return to your normal routine, your care is seamless.”
Keeping Kids on the Go After Surgery
Returning to normal after surgery is much faster than it once was, Dr. Lazar says — especially for children. “Kids want to get back to what they are doing, and they don’t need to be held back. The walls of my office are filled with pictures of kids doing active things within a week of surgery. We want kids up and moving, and that’s what they want, too.”