Every year, thousands of pediatricians, family physicians and parents from all across the region choose the surgery team at Ochsner Hospital for Children. Our dedicated team of pediatric surgeons, pediatric anesthesiologists and pediatric nurses provides personalized, kid-friendly, family-focused care for infants, children and adolescents. We’re here for kids with healthcare needs arising from congenital anomalies, trauma and other conditions. We treat everything from simple appendectomies to complex GI problems and cancer.

Each pediatric surgeon at Ochsner has been specially certified by the American Board of Surgery. They have completed five full years of general surgery training and two additional years of training in the surgical care of children through one of the subspecialty training programs approved by the American Council on Graduate Medical Education. Whether the surgery is routine or rare, we’re the team you can trust with your child’s care.

No matter how minor, when your child has to undergo a surgery, you want to be there. At Ochsner, we encourage parents of our pediatric inpatients to spend the night. From answering your questions to making sure you have your own pillow and a warm blanket, we do what we can to make you feel welcome and comfortable. Ochsner Hospital for Children considers parents part of the team.

While all in-patient and outpatient pediatric surgeries are performed at Ochsner Hospital for Children on Jefferson Highway, evaluations, diagnoses and follow-up care is available at other Ochsner locations that may be closer to home. When you choose Ochsner, you don’t have to drive into New Orleans numerous times. For the convenience of your family, our surgeons have appointments available at locations across the Greater New Orleans area, including the West Bank and North Shore.

Location information

Abdominal surgery

• Abdominal wall defects such as omphalocele and gastroschisis
• Achalasia
• Appendicitis
• Biliary atresia
• Choledochal cyst
• Congenital diaphragmatic hernia
• Duodenal atresia
• Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s and Ulcerative colitis)
• Gallbladder surgery
• Gastroesophageal reflux
• Hernia (inguinal and umbilical)
• Intestinal atresia
• Intestinal malrotation
• Intussusception
• Meconium ileus
• Meckel’s diverticulum
• Ovarian cysts
• Ovarian torsion
• Necrotizing enterocolitis
• Pyloric stenosis
• Spleen surgery (spherocytosis and ITP)
• Umbilical anomalies

Thoracic surgery

• Lung resection
• Congenital lung malformations
• Empyema
• Esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula
• Patent ductus arteriosus ligation
• Pectus carinatum
• Pectus excavatum

Colorectal surgery

• Cloacal malformations
• Hirschsprung disease
• Imperforate anus and anorectal malformations

Gynecological surgery in preadolescent females

• Ovarian
• Vaginal
• Uterine abnormalities

Urological surgery

• Circumcision
• Hydrocele
• Undescended testes

Head and neck surgery

• Branchial cleft surgery
• Head and neck tumors
• Thyroglossal duct cyst
• Lymph node biopsy
• Thyroid surgery

Corrective and reconstructive procedures for congenital anomalies

• Diaphragmatic hernias
• Neonatal bowel obstruction
• Abnormalities of the anus and rectum

Surgery for solid tumors

• Adrenal tumors (i.e. pheochromocytoma)
• Germ cell tumors (i.e. teratoma)
• Kidney tumors (i.e. Wilms’ tumor)
• Liver tumors (i.e. hepatoblastoma)
• Nerve tumors (i.e. neuroblastoma)
• Soft tissue tumors (i.e. rhabdomyosarcoma)

Minimally invasive procedures

• Appendectomy
• Anti-reflux procedure
• Bowel or colon resection
• Gallbladder surgery
• Lung resection
• Ovarian surgery
• Pectus excavatum
• Pyloric stenosis
• Splenectomy
• Video-assisted thoracoscopy
• Other minimally invasive surgeries may be available

Areas of special interest

• Congenital diaphragmatic hernia
• Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)
  • The ECMO program at Ochsner was the fourth in the nation and the first in the American Southeast.