If your child needs surgery, you want to know their care is in the hands of the best, most compassionate team. At Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), our world-class pediatric surgeons and experienced staff are here for you. We collaborate across many specialties and fields of expertise to take a thorough approach to care of your child. We are able to treat the most difficult cases.

You will have access to our full team, including the nation’s top pediatric specialists. We will provide personalized treatment and care for everything from medical management and surgery to diet, nutrition and family support.

A world-class pediatric surgical team

Our pediatric surgeons perform about 4,500 surgeries, including minimally invasive procedures, each year. Our surgical team includes pediatric general surgeons, pediatric transplant surgeons and advanced practice nurses. Each team member is skilled in the surgical and postoperative care of premature babies, infants, children and adolescents. Our surgeons also teach at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, where they share their rich knowledge.

State-of-the-art facilities and training

Our operating room complex is state-of-the-art. Each of our 23 operating rooms have the special equipment needed to perform surgery in infants and children, including minimally invasive surgery. Our pediatric surgical research laboratories are dedicated to research and advancing knowledge of pediatric surgical techniques.

We have one of the first pediatric surgical training facilities in the nation. Called the William Maul Measey Pediatric Surgical Training Laboratory, it uses state-of-the-art technology and simulated experiences to help experienced surgeons and trainees alike practice the latest techniques and hone their surgical skills. It is also a space where we work to invent new surgical tools and procedures.

Surgical services and follow-up close to home

Depending on the type of surgery your child needs, you may be able to have the procedure done at one of our Specialty Care and Ambulatory Surgery Centers. This would be an outpatient surgical procedure. These are led by a full surgical team, including pediatric anesthesiologists. These centers offer outpatient surgery for children of all ages at a more convenient location for families. You can also go to these locations for outpatient surgical consultations, diagnostic testing, day surgery and follow-up visits. Centers are staffed by CHOP’s pediatric surgeons, board-certified pediatric anesthesiologists and pediatric nurses. Find a surgical center near you.

Coordinated care for your child

Your child's care team includes many specialists beyond those performing the surgery. Each team member plays an important role before, during and after your child’s surgery. For example, surgical dietitians work with families to develop customized plans to help children with nutritional challenges thrive. The team also includes wound care specialists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, case managers, child life specialists and social workers.

We provide ongoing support and comprehensive care to patients and families following surgery for complex diseases. Our surgeons work directly with teams in many subspecialty programs and clinics dedicated to treating specific conditions and improving your child's health.

No matter what your child needs surgery for, they will have access to top pediatric specialists. The physicians and nurses who staff the inpatient floors where patients may need to stay after surgery are extremely skilled. CHOP is consistently ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report’s annual survey of the nation’s Best Children’s Hospitals.

A long history of innovative surgical care

The Department of Surgery at CHOP was established in 1946 by C. Everett Koop, MD, when he was the hospital's surgeon-in-chief. It made CHOP the first facility in Philadelphia to provide pediatric surgical specialty care and was just the second department of its kind in North America.

We continue to innovate for children who need surgery. We are leaders in the treatment of complex surgical diagnoses. These include congenital malformations in the chest and abdomen, congenital hyperinsulinism, endocrine disorders and juvenile myasthenia gravis (JMG), among others. Our research includes the two largest reports in the world on congenital hyperinsulinism and JMG. 
See some of our scientific publications.