Paediatric Surgery

Our paediatric surgeons specialise in surgical care for children, from newborn babies to teenagers. They work alongside paediatric anaesthetists and nurses experienced in caring for children. We treat a range of conditions that may require surgery, including congenital conditions, hernias, undescended testicles and urological conditions such as vesicoureteral reflux, hydronephrosis and hypospadias. Where appropriate, minimally invasive techniques, including keyhole and robot-assisted surgery, may be used.

What is paediatric surgery?

Paediatric surgery is general surgery for people who have not finished growing, from newborn babies to teenagers. Paediatric surgeons diagnose, operate on and follow up children with problems of the tummy and groin, such as hernias and appendicitis. Because a child's body and worries differ from an adult's, the whole visit is built around the child and family. It's separate from paediatric orthopaedics, which treats bones, cardiac surgery and from adult general surgery.

When should you see a paediatric surgeon?

Most children are referred to us after a doctor finds a problem that may need an operation. Speak to your GP or paediatrician if you notice:

• A lump or swelling in the groin, tummy button or scrotum
• A testicle you cannot feel or that sits high in the scrotum
• A tight foreskin or repeated trouble passing urine
• Ongoing tummy pain, vomiting or feeding problems in a baby
• A skin lump, cyst or swollen gland that does not settle

Some children's surgical problems are emergencies. A groin lump that turns hard and painful, sudden severe tummy pain, or a testicle that becomes suddenly painful and swollen needs to be seen straight away: go to the nearest emergency department without delay.

In the UAE a child usually reaches a paediatric surgeon through a GP, paediatrician or emergency doctor, though some families come with a problem already diagnosed. Many conditions, such as hernia or an undescended testicle, are planned as day surgery at the right age, and your child's surgeon will explain the timing.

What to expect

At the first appointment, the surgeon examines your child and talks through the history with you, often confirming what the referring doctor found. A diagnosis is frequently clear from the examination alone. Where more information is needed, your child may have an ultrasound scan, which is painless and needs no needles, or blood tests. Imaging such as an X-ray is arranged only when it will change the plan.

Not every problem needs an operation, and some are simply watched as your child grows. When surgery is the right step, many procedures are done as keyhole (laparoscopic) surgery or as day cases, so your child's home the same day. The surgeon explains the operation, the anaesthetic and the recovery, answers your questions and agrees the next step with you.

Paediatric surgery at Mediclinic

We provide children's surgery at hospitals in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, where paediatric surgeons work alongside paediatric anaesthetists and nurses trained to look after children. Day to day, our surgeons handle the problems that bring most families in, such as hernias, undescended testicles and appendicitis. They also care for babies and children with conditions present from birth, such as pyloric stenosis, that need surgery in the first weeks or years of life. Where a keyhole approach suits the child, we use minimally invasive techniques to reduce discomfort and shorten recovery.