Center for Children's Surgery—
About the Olivia Louise Pietrafesa Center for Children's Surgery
Children who require surgery have unique needs:
- medical
- social
- emotional
- environmental
To meet these needs at the highest possible level, University Hospital has created a comprehensive Center for Children's Surgery.
The center, on the third floor of University Hospital, accommodates the vast majority of the hospital's pediatric surgeries.
The new center reflects the high degree of specialization in pediatric surgery at University Hospital. It is staffed by fellowship-trained pediatric surgeons and anesthesiologists, as well as highly specialized nurses, technicians, child life specialists and administrators.
The People
"The people who work in this center have a singular focus: they're trained to work with children, and they love to work with children," says Michael Ratner MD, pediatric surgeon and director of the center."We've taken all the specialists who play a role in pediatric surgery and concentrated them in one place," he adds."This concentration can only elevate the quality of care we deliver."
The Services
The vast majority of services related to pediatric surgery is also concentrated within the Center, minimizing intra-hospital travel. Pediatric patients are especially vulnerable to the stress of surgery. "Clinical studies show that children who are not anxious about surgery recover faster and require less medication for pain," according to Ratner. "We bring this awareness to bear on the way we approach pediatric surgery. Every member of our staff understands the behavior and development of children and is trained to help relieve their anxiety."
The Environment
The Center for Children's Surgery offers surgical services for children from birth to 18 years and is designed to be child- and family-friendly. In addition to its cheerful decor and child-sized surroundings, the center takes a more relaxed approach to certain hospital policies, such as visitation and parental involvement in preoperative and recovery care. For instance, anesthesia is delivered in an upbeat setting, where parents are welcome, and child-life specialists are available to help reduce stress levels.
