Center for Children’s Surgery Services

The Center for Children’s Surgery oversees all surgeries performed at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Although there are many surgical specialties here, all of our surgeons are specially trained to treat children. And no matter if a surgeon is performing a complex heart transplant or a routine appendectomy, they are always supported by a talented team of pediatric medical experts.

Learn about all the different types of surgeries we perform here at Children’s Colorado.

Surgical support from pediatric-trained specialists

• Nurses and physicians’ assistants help to prepare the child and family for surgery, as well assist the surgeons during the procedure. Each nurse is trained to work with kids and takes extra steps to make them and their family feel comfortable while in the hospital.
• Anesthesiologists, all pediatric-certified, to administer anesthesia to ensure your child remains asleep and safe during surgery.
• Child life specialists help your child understand the surgical treatment they need and explain the process in a way they can understand and that helps put their mind at ease.
• Pathologists examine blood and tissue samples to help the doctors reach a final diagnosis and develop the most optimal treatment plan for your child. Sometimes they even perform these tests during the operation to help the surgeon determine what steps to take.
• Radiologists take detailed images of your child’s bones and organs to ensure your child’s surgery is performed with the utmost precision. We even work with interventional radiologists who use different imaging devices to create highly detailed images that are displayed on a monitor the surgeon can see. Being able to see what is happening in real time inside the body greatly improves the effectiveness of surgeries.

Surgery-related services

Imaging services

Prior to surgery, your child’s doctor may require an imaging test to plan the best way to approach the surgery. Many of our doctors also use imaging during the surgery itself so they can see inside the body in real time. We provide a range of imaging services, including ultrasound, X-rays, computerized tomography (CT), fluoroscopy, interventional radiology, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear imaging and positron emission technology (PET).

Along with state-of-the-art technology to produce the images, we have a team of skilled radiologists to read them and collaborate with doctors on treatment.

Minimally invasive surgery

Our surgeons use minimally invasive surgery in order to make smaller incisions, which reduces scarring and helps your child recover quicker after surgery. We use several different types of minimally invasive surgery, including laparoscopic, thoracoscopic, endoscopic and robotic-assisted surgery.

Gastrostomy tubes

A gastrostomy tube, or G-tube, is a tube that is inserted through the abdominal wall directly into the stomach to help children get the nutrition they need by providing calories, fluids and medicine. It may be used for a child who cannot eat and drink safely or is not well enough to eat or drink through their mouth.

Nasogastric tubes

A nasogastric tube, or NG tube, is a small, soft tube that is put in through the nose, down the throat and into the stomach to provide feedings and medications to your child. It may be used for infants and children who are not able to take enough calories by mouth because of problems with their throat or esophagus or if they have difficulty with swallowing, breathing, digestion, absorption or growth problems.

Central lines

A central line, or access port, is a soft tube, also known as a catheter, that surgeons place in a vein to deliver medication, fluids and nutrients directly into the bloodstream. We often use central lines for infants and children because they have small veins that are often difficult and painful to access. Having a central line or access port helps to avoid multiple needle sticks.

If you have questions, or you would like more information about the Center for Children’s Surgery, please contact us at 720-777-1234.