Newborn Surgery

Neonatal surgery is performed on infants with defects that cannot be treated while in the womb. Surgery may be done immediately after birth or in the days or weeks that follow. Fetal and neonatal surgery are both highly complex and often risky procedures involving a multidisciplinary team of specialists.

Neonatal Surgery

Neonatal surgery is performed on babies shortly after they are born. It is typically meant to treat conditions that cannot be diagnosed and/or addressed while still in the womb. It may also treat conditions that develop shortly after birth. Babies born premature often require neonatal surgery to correct developmental issues.

Neonatal surgery is used to treat many different conditions, for example:

• Tracheoesophageal fistula
• Esophageal atresia
• Congenital diaphragmatic hernia
• Lung lesions and tumors
• Omphalocele
• Gastroschisis
• Necrotizing enterocolitis
• Hirschsprung’s disease
• Intestinal atresia
• Anorectal malformations

Neonatal Surgical Procedures

Like fetal surgery, neonatal surgical procedures are unique to each condition. They can include minimally invasive procedures (often used to treat digestive issues, such as atresia), as well as more involved open surgical procedures, such as those used to treat heart and lung defects.