Pablo Laje, MD

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Pablo Laje, MD, is an attending pediatric surgeon in the Division of General, Thoracic and Fetal Surgery at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. 

Areas of Expertise: Hyperhidrosis, Minimally invasive surgery, Neonatal Surgery, Congenital malformations, Inguinal and umbilical hernia repair, Biliary disease, Chest wall deformities, Pectus surgery, Congenital lung lesions, Gastroschisis, Lymphatic disorders
Locations: Main Hospital; Specialty Care, King of Prussia

Appointments and Referrals: 1-800-TRY-CHOP (1-800-879-2467)

Background

Dr. Pablo Laje is an attending surgeon in the Division of Pediatric General, Thoracic and Fetal Surgery at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and an associate professor of surgery at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

His areas of interest include neonatal surgery and minimally invasive surgery. Dr Laje earned his medical degree at the University of Buenos Aires in 1999. He completed his residency in Pediatric Surgery at the J.P. Garrahan National Pediatric Hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina, one of the largest pediatric hospitals in the world, before continuing on to complete a fellowship in pediatric surgery.

Dr. Laje came to CHOP in 2005 to serve as a research fellow in the Center for Fetal Research, where he worked alongside Dr. Alan W. Flake to develop innovative methods of performing gene therapy on hematopoietic stem cells for fetal transplantation. After two years as a clinical pediatric surgery fellow at CHOP, he was appointed attending surgeon in 2011. Dr. Laje performs more than 500 operations a year.

“Working at CHOP is a privilege,” he says. “The expertise that our hospital has in every aspect of pediatric healthcare is second to none, and I know that if there is anything under the sun that can be done to help a suffering child, it can be done here at CHOP.”

Dr. Laje has authored several pediatric surgery textbook chapters and published more than 25 articles in scientific journals, including the Journal of Pediatric Surgery, Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy, Prenatal Diagnosis, and Blood. He also serves as a fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

Education and Training

Medical School

MD - University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Internship

General Surgery – J.A. Fernandez Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Residency

Pediatric Surgery – J.P. Garrahan National Pediatric Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Fellowship

Pediatric Surgery – The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Fetal Surgery Research – The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Pediatric Surgery – J.P. Garrahan National Pediatric Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Board Certification

Pediatric Surgery – American Board of Surgery

Titles and Academic Titles

Attending Surgeon

Associate Professor, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Conditions Treated

Departments and Services

Publications

Papers

2018

Russell KW, Nance ML, Adzick NS, Laje P. Meconium aspiration syndrome requiring ECMO in newborns with gastroschisis: incidence and surgical outcomes. Pediatr Surg Int. 2018 Nov 16;. PMID: 30443738 

Laje P, Fraga MV, Peranteau WH, Hedrick HL, Khalek N, Gebb JS, Moldenhauer JS, Johnson MP, Flake AW, Adzick NS. Complex gastroschisis: Clinical spectrum and neonatal outcomes at a referral center. J Pediatr Surg. 2018 Oct;53(10):1904-1907. doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2018.03.011. Epub 2018 Mar 14.

Victoria T, Srinivasan AS, Pogoriler J, Kreiger PA, Laje P, Oliver ER, Danzer E, Johnson AM, Moldenhauer JS, Peranteau WH, Adzick NS. The rare solid fetal lung lesion with T2-hypointense components: prenatal imaging findings with postnatal pathological correlation. Pediatr Radiol. 2018 Jul 14; PMID: 30008034

Weissler JM, Cho EH, Koltz PF, Carney MJ, Itkin M, Laje P, Levin LS, Dori Y, Kanchwala SK, Kovach SJ. Lymphovenous Anastomosis for the Treatment of Chylothorax in Infants: A Novel Microsurgical Approach to a Devastating Problem. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2018 Jun;141(6):1502-1507. doi: 10.1097/PRS.0000000000004424.

Victoria T, Andronikou S, Bowen D, Laje P, Weiss DA, Johnson AM, Peranteau WH, Canning DA, Adzick NS. Fetal anterior abdominal wall defects: prenatal imaging by magnetic resonance imaging. Pediatr Radiol. 2018 Apr;48(4):499-512. doi: 10.1007/s00247-017-3914-x. Epub 2018 Mar 17.

Fraga MV, Laje P, Peranteau WH, Hedrick HL, Khalek N, Gebb JS, Moldenhauer JS, Johnson MP, Flake AW, Adzick NS. The influence of gestational age, mode of delivery and abdominal wall closure method on the surgical outcome of neonates with uncomplicated gastroschisis. Pediatr Surg Int. 2018 Apr;34(4):415-419. doi: 10.1007/s00383-018-4233-5. Epub 2018 Feb 7.

2017

Perea L, Peranteau WH, Laje P. Transumbilical extracorporeal laparoscopic-assisted appendectomy. J Pediatr Surg. 2018 Feb;53(2):256-259. doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2017.11.012. Epub 2017 Nov 13.

Perea L, Blinman T, Piccione J, Laje P. Bilateral congenital lobar emphysema: staged management. J Pediatr Surg. 2017 Sep;52(9):1442-1445. doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2017.01.056. Epub 2017 Jan 31.

2016

Laje P, Rhodes K, Magee L, Klarich MK. Thoracoscopic bilateral T3 sympathectomy for primary focal hyperhidrosis in children. J Pediatr Surg. 2017 Feb;52(2):313-316. doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2016.11.030. Epub 2016 Nov 14.

Laje P, Blinman TA, Nance ML, Peranteau WH. Laparoscopic fundoplication in neonates and young infants: Failure rate and need for redo at a high-volume center. J Pediatr Surg. 2017 Feb;52(2):257-259. doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2016.11.019. Epub 2016 Nov 14.

Laje P, Hedrick HL, Flake AW, Adzick NS, Peranteau WH. Delayed abdominal closure after congenital diaphragmatic hernia repair. J Pediatr Surg. 2016 Feb;51(2):240-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2015.10.069. Epub 2015 Nov 11.

Burgos CM, Pearson EG, Davey M, Riley J, Jia H, Laje P, Flake AW, Peranteau WH. Improved pulmonary function in the nitrofen model of congenital diaphragmatic hernia following prenatal maternal dexamethasone and/or sildenafil. Pediatr Res. 2016 Oct;80(4):577-85.

Laje P, Tharakan SJ, Hedrick HL. Immediate operative management of the fetus with airway anomalies resulting from congenital malformations. Semin Fetal Neonatal Med. 2016 Aug;21(4):240-5.

Burgos CM, Pearson EG, Davey M, Riley J, Jia H, Laje P, Flake AW, Peranteau WH. Improved pulmonary function in the nitrofen model of congenital diaphragmatic hernia following prenatal maternal dexamethasone and/or sildenafil. Pediatr Res. 2016 Oct;80(4):577-85. doi: 10.1038/pr.2016.127. Epub 2016 Jul 4.

Gmuca S, Boos MD, Treece A, Narula S, Billinghurst L, Bhatti T, Laje P, Perman MJ, Vossough A, Harding B, Burnham J, Banwell B. Degos disease mimicking primary vasculitis of the CNS. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm. 2016 Feb 2;3(2):e206. doi: 10.1212/NXI.0000000000000206. eCollection 2016 Apr.

2015

Laje P, Hedrick HL, Flake AW, Adzick NS, Peranteau WH. Delayed abdominal closure after congenital diaphragmatic hernia repair. J Pediatr Surg. 2015 Nov 11.

Laje P, Peranteau WH, Hedrick HL, Flake AW, Johnson MP, Moldenhauer JS, Adzick NS. Ex utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT) in the management of cervical lymphatic malformation. J Pediatr Surg. 2015 Feb;50(2):311-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2014.11.024. Epub 2014 Nov 10.

Partridge EA, Victoria T, Coleman BG, Martinez-Poyer J, Laje P, Hedrick HL, Flake AW, Adzick NS. Prenatal diagnosis of esophageal bronchus - first report of a rare foregut malformation in utero. J Pediatr Surg. 2015 Feb;50(2):306-10. Epub 2014 Nov 10.

Lacher M, St Peter SD, Laje P, Harmon CM, Ure B, Kuebler JF.  Thoracoscopic CDH Repair--A Survey on Opinion and Experience Among IPEG Members. J Laparoendosc Adv Surg Tech A. 2015 Nov;25(11):954-7. doi: 10.1089/lap.2015.0243. Epub 2015 Oct 21.

Boelig MM, Laje P, Peranteau WH. Child With Abdominal Pain and a Cystic Pelvic Mass. JAMA Surg. 2015 Jul;150(7):679-80. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2015.0266.

Laje P, Pearson EG, Simpao AF, Rehman MA, Sinclair T, Hedrick HL, Adzick NS, Flake AW. The first 100 infant thoracoscopic lobectomies: Observations through the learning curve and comparison to open lobectomy. J Pediatr Surg. 2015 Jun 3. pii: S0022-3468(15)00369-3. pii: S0022-3468(15)00369-3. doi: 10.1016.

Olive A, Moldenhauer JS, Laje P, Johnson MP, Coleman BG, Victoria T, Flake AW, Adzick NS. Axillary lymphatic malformations: Prenatal evaluation and postnatal outcomes. J Pediatr Surg. 2015 Apr 29. pii: S0022-3468(15)00312-7. doi: 10.1016.

2014

Czerwonko ME, Fraga MV, Goldberg DJ, Hedrick HL, Laje P. Cardiovascular perforation during placement of an Avalon Elite® Bicaval dual lumen ECMO cannula in a newborn. J Card Surg. 2015 Apr;30(4):370-2. doi: 10.1111/jocs.12507. Epub 2014 Dec 29.

Olive A, Moldenhauer JS, Laje P, Johnson MP, Coleman BG, Victoria T, Flake AW, Adzick NS. Ex utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT) in the management of cervical lymphatic malformation. J Pediatr Surg. 2015 Feb;50(2):311-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2014.11.024. Epub 2014 Nov 10.

Partridge EA, Victoria T, Coleman BG, Martinez-Poyer J, Laje P, Hedrick HL, Flake AW, Adzick NS. Prenatal diagnosis of esophageal bronchus--first report of a rare foregut malformation in utero. J Pediatr Surg. 2015 Feb;50(2):306-10. doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2014.11.025. Epub 2014 Nov 10. Review.

Burgos CM, Pearson EG, Davey M, Riley J, Jia H, Laje P, Flake AW, Peranteau WH. Improved pulmonary function in the nitrofen model of congenital diaphragmatic hernia following prenatal maternal dexamethasone and/or sildenafil. Pediatr Res. 2016 Oct;80(4):577-85.

2013

Laje P, Howell LJ, Johnson MP, Hedrick HL, Flake AW, Adzick NS. Perinatal management of congenital oropharyngeal tumors: the ex utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT) approach. J Pediatr Surg. 2013 Oct;48(10):2005-10. doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2013.02.031.

Muchantef K, Epelman M, Darge K, Kirpalani H, Laje P, Anupindi SA. Sonographic and radiographic imaging features of the neonate with necrotizing enterocolitis: correlating findings with outcomes. Pediatr Radiol. 2013 Nov;43(11):1444-52. doi: 10.1007/s00247-013-2725-y. Epub 2013 Jun 15.

Tsai J, Blinman TA, Collins JL, Laje P, Hedrick HL, Adzick NS, Flake AW. The contribution of hiatal hernia to severe gastroesophageal reflux disease in patients with gastroschisis. J Pediatr Surg. 2014 Mar;49(3):395-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2013.09.005.

Laje P, States LJ, Zhuang H, Becker SA, Palladino AA, Stanley CA, Adzick NS. Accuracy of PET/CT Scan in the diagnosis of the focal form of congenital hyperinsulinism. J Pediatr Surg. 2013 Feb;48(2):388-93. doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2012.11.025.

Laje P, States LJ, Zuang H, Becker SA, Palladino AA, Stanley CA, Adzick NS: The accuracy of PET/CT scan in the diagnosis of the focal form of congenital hyperinsulinism. J Pediatr Surg 48:388-393, 2013.

Laje P, Bhatti TR, Adzick NS: Solid pseudopapillary neoplasm of the pancreas in children: A 15 year experience and identification of a unique immunohistochemical marker. J Pediatr Surg 48:2054-2060, 2013.

Laje P, Adzick NS: Modified Puestow for the management of chronic pancreatitis in children. J Pediatr Surg 48:2271-2275, 2013.

Laje P, Palladino AA, Bhatti TR, States LJ, Stanley CA, Adzick NS: Pancreatic surgery in Infants with Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome and Hyperinsulinism. J Pediatric Surg 48:2511-2516, 2013.

2012

Roybal JL, Laje P, Vrecenak JD, Flake AW. Use of manipulated stem cells for prenatal therapy. Methods Mol Biol. 2012;891:169-81. Cited in PubMed; PMID:22648772.

Laje P, Johnson MP, Howell LJ, Bebbington MW, Hedrick HL, Flake AW, et al. Ex utero intrapartum treatment in the management of giant cervical teratomas. J Pediatr Surg. 2012 Jun;47(6):1208-16.Cited in PubMed; PMID:22703795 .

Dingemann J, Laje P, St Peter SD, Ure BM. IPEG survey on live case demonstrations in pediatric surgery. J Laparoendosc Adv Surg Tech A. 2012 Sep;22(7):705-9. doi: 10.1089/lap.2012.0031. Epub 2012 Jun 28.

Laje P, Stanley CA, Palladino AA, Becker SA, Adzick NS: Pancreatic head resection and Roux-en-Y pancreaticojejunostomy for the treatment of the focal form of congenital hyperinsulinism. J Pediatr Surg 47:130-135, 2012. 

2011

St Peter SD, Valusek PA, Hill S, Wulkan ML, Shah SS, Martinez Ferro M, Bignon H, Laje P, Mattei PA, Graziano KD, Muensterer OJ, Pontarelli EM, Nguyen NX, Kane TD, Qureshi FG, Calkins CM, Leys CM, Baerg JE, Holcomb GW. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy in children: a multicenter experience. J Laparoendosc Adv Surg Tech A. 2011 Sep;21(7):647-9. doi: 10.1089/lap.2011.0141. Epub 2011 Jul 21. Erratum in: J Laparoendosc Adv Surg Tech A. 2011 Nov;21(9):885. Bignon, Horatio [added]. 

2010

Laje P, Halaby L, Adzick NS, Stanley CA: Necrotizing enterocolitis in neonates receiving octreotide for the management of congenital hyperinsulinism. Pediatric Diabetes 11:142-147, 2010.

Laje P, Stanley CA, Adzick NS: Intussusception after pancreatectomy in children: A case series. J Pediatr Surg 45:1496-1499, 2010.

Laje P, Clark FH, Friedman JR, Flake AW. Increased susceptibility to liver damage from pneumoperitoneum in a murine model of biliary atresia. J Pediatr Surg. 2010 Sep;45(9):1791-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2010.02.117.

Laje P, Flake AW, Adzick NS. Prenatal diagnosis and postnatal resection of intraabdominal enteric duplications.  Pediatr Surg. 2010 Jul;45(7):1554-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2010.03.017. Review.

Laje P, Stanley CA, Adzick NS. Intussusception after pancreatic surgery in children: a case series. J Pediatr Surg. 2010 Jul;45(7):1496-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2009.09.021.

2009

Tamburri N, Laje P, Boglione M, Martinez-Ferro M. Extrathoracic esophageal elongation (Kimura's technique): a feasible option for the treatment of patients with complex esophageal atresia. J Pediatr Surg. 2009 Dec;44(12):2420-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2009.07.037.

Laje P, Zoltick PW, Flake AW. SLAM-enriched hematopoietic stem cells maintain long-term repopulating capacity after lentiviral transduction using an abbreviated protocol. Gene Ther. 2010 Mar;17(3):412-8. doi: 10.1038/gt.2009.138. Epub 2009 Oct 29.

Merianos DJ, Tiblad E, Santore MT, Todorow CA, Laje P, Endo M, Zoltick PW, Flake AW. Maternal alloantibodies induce a postnatal immune response that limits engraftment following in utero hematopoietic cell transplantation in mice. J Clin Invest. 2009 Sep;119(9):2590-600. doi: 10.1172/JCI38979. Epub 2009 Aug 3.

Laje P, Halaby L, Adzick NS, Stanley CA. Necrotizing enterocolitis in neonates receiving octreotide for the management of congenital hyperinsulinism. Pediatr Diabetes. 2010 Mar;11(2):142-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1399-5448.2009.00547.x. Epub 2009 Jun 25. Review.

Laje P, Mattei PA. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy for adrenal tumors in children: a case series. J Laparoendosc Adv Surg Tech A. 2009 Apr;19 Suppl 1:S27-9. doi: 10.1089/lap.2008.0111.supp.

Laje P, Shang D, Cao W, Niiya M, Endo M, Radu A, DeRogatis N, Scheiflinger F, Zoltick PW, Flake AW, Zheng XL. Correction of murine ADAMTS13 deficiency by hematopoietic progenitor cell-mediated gene therapy. Blood. 2009 Mar 5;113(10):2172-80. doi: 10.1182/blood-2008-08-173021. Epub 2009 Jan 13.

2008

Laje P, Wilson RD, Guttenberg M, Liechty KW. Survival in primary congenital pulmonary lymphangiectasia with hydrops fetalis. Fetal Diagn Ther. 2008;24(3):225-9. doi: 10.1159/000151343. Epub 2008 Aug 28.

Laje P, Peranteau WH, Flake AW. Repair of indirect inguinal hernias by "laparoscopic joining of the edges". Surg Laparosc Endosc Percutan Tech. 2008 Jun;18(3):280-2. doi: 10.1097/SLE.0b013e3181719bed.

Laje P, Liechty KW. Postnatal management and outcome of prenatally diagnosed lung lesions. Prenat Diagn. 2008 Jul;28(7):612-8. doi: 10.1002/pd.1966. Review.

2007

Laje P, Questa H, Bailez M. Laparoscopic leak-free technique for the treatment of choledochal cysts. J Laparoendosc Adv Surg Tech A. 2007 Aug;17(4):519-21.

Laje P, Martínez-Ferro M. Thoracoscopic double aortic arch division with Harmonic scalpel: a case report. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2007 Mar;133(3):819-20.

2006

Martinez-Ferro M, Rubio M, Piaggio L, Laje P. Thoracoscopic approach for congenital esophageal stenosis. J Pediatr Surg. 2006 Oct;41(10):E5-7.

Laje P, Martinez-Ferro M, Grisoni E, Dudgeon D. Intraabdominal pulmonary sequestration. A case series and review of the literature. J Pediatr Surg. 2006 Jul;41(7):1309-12. Review.

2005

Martinez-Ferro M, Esteves E, Laje P. Laparoscopic treatment of biliary atresia and choledochal cyst. Semin Pediatr Surg. 2005 Nov;14(4):206-15.

Martinez-Ferro M, Laje P, Piaggio L. Combined thoraco-laparoscopy for trans-diaphragmatic thoraco-abdominal enteric duplications. J Pediatr Surg. 2005 Sep;40(9):e37-40.

Martínez-Ferro M, Elmo G, Laje P. Laparoscopic pocket splenopexy for wandering spleen: a case report. J Pediatr Surg. 2005 May;40(5):882-4.

2004

Martínez-Ferro M, Duarte S, Laje P. Single-port thoracoscopy for the treatment of pleural empyema in children. J Pediatr Surg. 2004 Aug;39(8):1194-6.

Books

Chapters

2017

Adzick NS, Laje P: Pancreatic Neoplasms in Children. In: Grosfeld J, Carachi R (eds): The Surgery of Childhood Tumors. 3rd Edition, Springer-Verlag, 2017, pp 303-321.

2016

Laje P, Adzick NS: Pancreas disorders. In: Mattei P, Nichol PF, Rollins MD, Muratore CS (eds): Fundamentals of Pediatric Surgery, 3rd Edition. Springer-Verlag, 2016, pp 675-686.

Adzick NS, Laje P: Congenital hyperinsulinism. In: Mattei P, Nichol PF, Rollins MD, Muratore CS (eds): Fundamentals of Pediatric Surgery, 3rd Edition. Springer-Verlag, 2016, pp 667-674.

2015

Laje P, Hedrick H. Operative Surgical Management of Fetuses with CHAOS: Management at Delivery. In: Sobol S, Lioy J, ed. Disorders of the Neonatal Airway. New York: Springer; 2015. p. 181-188.

2012

Adzick NS, Laje P: Pancreatic Neoplasms in Children. In: Grosfeld J, Carachi R (eds): The Surgery of Childhood Tumors. 3rd Edition, Springer-Verlag, 2017, pp 303-321.

2010

Laje P, Martinez-Ferro M. Acute abdomen. In: Sinha CK, Davenport M, editors. Handbook of pediatric surgery. London: Springer-Verlag: 2010. p. 173-76.

Laje P, Nichol P. Laparoscopic and open small bowel resection. In: Chen H, editor. Illustrative handbook of general surgery. London: Springer-Verlag; 2010. p. 127-33.

Leadership and Memberships

Memberships in Professional Organizations

International

International Pediatric Endosurgery Group

National

American College of Surgeons
American Pediatric Surgical Association