Surgery

Surgery can be a scary thing for children and their families. We know we can’t take all that fear away, but we can provide comfort, support and information — plus years of experience in pediatric surgery — to help children and families feel more at ease.

Our pediatric surgical services include:

• Inpatient, outpatient, short stay and diagnostic care
• Multidisciplinary pediatric surgical team available 24 hours a day, every day
• Pediatric anesthesia and sedation services
• Case-specific preparation for families, including a pre-surgery tour

Our team — including board-certified pediatric surgeons, specially trained nurses and anesthesiologists, and child life specialists — provide comprehensive, compassionate care for children. Features of our surgical program include:

• Expertise: Mary Bridge Children’s offers a full range of advanced surgical services by some of the region’s leading surgeons. Our highly skilled pediatric General & Thoracic surgeons are board-certified in general surgery with special certification in pediatric surgery. Mary Bridge Children’s provides children with surgical expertise in a range of pediatric specialty areas, including Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT), Heart Surgery, Neurosurgery, Ophthalmology, Orthopedics, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery and Urology.
• Surgical excellence: We use the latest technology to perform minimally invasive procedures whenever possible. By using leading-edge tools and technology, our surgeons offer children excellent outcomes with lower rates of complications.
• Pediatric-focused facilities: Our state-of-the-art operating suites include tools and equipment especially designed to be used when performing surgery on children of all ages, including newborns.
• Comprehensive care: Our specialists are dedicated to providing superior pre- and post-operative care to children and families, including case-specific preparation for families and pre-surgery tours; inpatient, outpatient, short stay and diagnostic care; and pediatric anesthesia and sedation services as needed for your child’s testing and diagnostic procedures. And our multidisciplinary pediatric surgical team is available 24 hours a day, every day, so there’s always a surgeon ready to help your child.
• Dedicated child life specialists: Child life specialists help children and families cope with the stress of hospitalization by providing pre-surgery tours and helping children prepare for surgery using age-appropriate techniques. Learn more about child life specialists at Mary Bridge Children’s.
• Convenient locations: Mary Bridge Children’s specialists make regular visits to our regional outpatient centers throughout the South Sound, making it easy for your child to receive pre- and post-surgical follow-up care.

Having surgery can be an overwhelming time for parents and children. At Mary Bridge Children’s, we want to make that experience as stress-free as possible. We’ve compiled information to help patients and their families feel prepared for every step.

What to expect and how to prepare for your child’s surgery

Surgical techniques

Our surgeons are some of the most skilled and experienced in the Puget Sound region. They use the latest, most advanced tools and technology available, offering patients innovative, effective surgical techniques.

Minimally invasive surgery

At Mary Bridge Children’s, we provide advanced surgical services with a focus on treating your child as if they were our own. Depending on the individual case, we can often use minimally invasive surgery for your child’s procedure.

Minimally invasive surgery techniques typically use only one or a few very small incisions. For our patients, minimally invasive surgery can mean:

• Faster recovery times
• Less pain and discomfort
• Fewer complications
• Less scarring

Traditional, open surgery

Traditional, open surgery may be the best treatment option for a number of conditions affecting the heart, spine, brain and other areas.

Open surgery involves a larger incision to allow the surgeon to directly access the area being treated. Your child’s surgeon will discuss your child’s surgery with you in detail — including whether traditional, open surgery or minimally invasive surgery is the best choice for their treatment.