Conditions & Procedures
Displaying 1 - 43 of 43
Displaying 1 - 43 of 43
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Anorectal Malformation, aka Imperforate Anus, is a spectrum of abnormalities of the rectum and anus. There are many possible abnormalities as follows:The absence of an anal opening.The anal opening in the wrong place.A connection, or fistula, joining the intestine and urinary…
Appendicitis is inflammation or infection of the appendix, and if left untreated, can cause rupture (or perforation) of the appendix. The appendix is a small finger shaped pouch attached to the large intestine and is usually found on…
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Biliary atresia is a rare condition in newborn infants in which the common bile duct between the liver and the small intestine is blocked or absent.
Early surgical intervention to treat biliary atresia is critical to prevent irreversible liver damage. Once the liver…
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Chest wall deformities, or abnormal development and appearance of the chest, can vary from mild to severe. These deformities are considered to be congenital and may be apparent at birth or later in childhood. Regardless, the severity of the malformation usually progresses…
A colostomy is a reversible surgical procedure in which a stoma is formed by drawing the healthy end of the large intestine or colon through an incision in the anterior abdominal wall and suturing it into place. This opening, in…
The wide, flat muscle that separates the chest and abdominal cavities is called the diaphragm. The diaphragm forms over the course of the 6th through 12th weeks' gestation in the fetus. When it does not form completely, a defect, called congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH),…
What is a congenital pulmonary airways malformation of the lung?
The normal lung is made up of five individual lobes - three lobes form the right lung and two lobes form the left lung. When one of these lobes forms incorrectly in a developing fetus, it is called a…
Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IBD is a general term for noninfectious conditions that involve chronic inflammation of the intestines, causing symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, fevers, bleeding and growth problems.
Crohn's disease…
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Esophageal atresia is an abnormality, or birth defect, of the esophagus that occurs early in pregnancy, as the baby is developing. The esophagus forms in the first few months of fetal life as a long, hollow, continuous tube joining the mouth to the stomach. In newborns with…
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What causes gallstones?
The gallbladder is a small sac found just under the liver, on the right side of the abdomen. The liver produces a liquid called bile, which is stored in the gallbladder. When a meal is eaten, the gallbladder…
What causes gastroesophageal reflux disease?Gastroesophageal reflux (GER, aka acid reflux or acid regurgitation) occurs when the opening to the stomach (lower esophageal sphincter, LES) doesn't close completely, causing food and digestive acid to rise up into the esophagus.…
A gastroschisis is a birth defect in which an opening in your baby's abdominal wall allows the stomach or intestines to protrude outside of the body and float in the amniotic fluid. The amount of abdominal contents outside the baby varies from very small - just a few loops of…
Gastrostomy tubes are feeding tubes placed through the abdomen into the stomach. Gastrostomy tubes are used to give children formula, liquids, and medicines. These tubes are placed by aPediatric Surgeon or by a Pediatric Gastroenterologist. A gastrostomy tube is placed one of…
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Hirschsprung's Disease, usually diagnosed in newborns, is a birth defect that affects about l out of 5,000 individuals. Those affected with this birth defect are missing intestinal nerve cells called ganglion cells. These nerve cells allow the intestine to relax so stool (poop…
I
An ileostomy is a surgically created opening of the small bowel (or ileum) through the abdominal wall. This opening on the abdomen is called a stoma. An ileostomy is needed when the large intestine (colon) can not be used and must be bypassed or removed. The work of the colon…
What causes inguinal hernia?
Inguinal hernia is the most common surgical problem of childhood. It results from a small sac that comes through the inguinal ring, which is normally open during fetal life and closes around the time of birth. For reasons we don't…
Intestinal atresia is a congenital anomaly in which there is a blockage of the intestine or bowel. The intestine is categorized as small bowel which starts immediately after the stomach and the large bowel which starts immediately after the small bowel and ends as…
Some persons are born with or develop irreversible intestinal failure. Intestinal failure occurs when a person's intestines can't digest food and absorb the fluids, electrolytes and nutrients essential to life and normal development. Patients must then receive TPN,…
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Your child's Jackson-Pratt (JP) drain removes fluid that collects inside the body after an operation. The soft plastic bulb, on the end of the drain, creates suction to pull the fluid out. The bulb will not work if it gets too full, and thus must be emptied periodically.
How…
K
The Kasai procedure involves removing the blocked bile ducts and gallbladder and replacing them with a segment of your child's own small intestine. This segment of intestine is sewn to the liver and functions as a new extrahepatic bile duct system.
The operation will be…
L
There are two types of long term intravenous catheters that are surgically placed in patients who need to receive intravenous infusions of medication, blood products or nutrition or who may require frequent blood sampling. Compared to…
What are lumps and bumps found near the skin?
Lumps and bumps that form under or on the skin can be cysts or solid lesions. Cysts have a thin lining that holds fluid or other tissues such as sebum. If it has pus, it is called a cystic abscess. The cysts are named depending on…
What is CPAM?The normal pair of lungs is made up of five individual lobes - three lobes form the right lung and two lobes form the left lung. When one of these lobes forms incorrectly in a developing fetus, it is called a congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (CCAM) or…
M
The modified Ravitch procedure requires exposure of the sternum and surrounding area, removal of abnormal cartilages, and fixation of the sternum in a more normal position with a metal bar. This metal bar remains in place for at least a year, and then is removed with another…
N
The Nuss procedure also aims to force the sternum forward and hold it there with an implanted steel bar, but without making a big incision to resect the abnormal cartilage. In this procedure, the curved steel bar is placed under the sternum through two small incisions on the…
O
Childhood obesity has become an epidemic in the United States, posing a great health challenge to our society. Obese children and adolescents are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other serious health…
What is an omphalocele?
An omphalocele is a birth defect in which an abnormal opening in your baby's abdominal wall allows the stomach, liver or intestines to protrude outside the body in a membrane sac. It is not known why this happens, but an omphalocele occurs when the…
P
Pectus carinatum is characterized by a protrusion of the sternum that occurs as a result of an abnormal and unequal growth of the costal cartilage connecting the ribs to the sternum. Rather than growing flat along the chest wall, the…
Pectus excavatum is a congenital disorder which causes the chest to have a sunken or "caved in" appearance. It is the most common congenital chest wall abnormality in children.What is the cause of pectus excavatum?The cause of pectus…
Our world-reknowned group of pediatric surgeons are experts in the treatment of children with cancer. Working in close collaboration with the pediatric oncologists, our pediatric surgeons provide surgical care to our patients. This includes resection of large tumors and…
What causes perianal abscess?Perianal abscess is a superficial infection that appears as a tender red lump under the skin near the anus. The infection occurs when bacteria gets trapped in the crypt glands that line the anal canal.…
Our team at UCSF BCH of surgeons and nurses has special expertise in pilonidal disease and takes a comprehensive approach towards it, treating patients from throughout Northern California. Pilonidal disease is an infection in the gluteal cleft, or the buttock crease. It…
Pyloric stenosis, also called infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis, is a condition caused by an enlarged pylorus. The pylorus is a muscle that opens and closes to allow food to pass through the stomach into the intestine. When this muscle becomes enlarged, feedings are…
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S
Sacroccoygeal teratoma (SCT) is a tumor of neonates that arises from the tailbone or coccyx. It is the most common tumor of newborns, although it is quite rare occurring in approximately 1 in every 40,000 births. This birth defect is more common in females than in male…
Short bowel syndrome is a group of problems related to poor absorption of nutrients that typically occurs in people who have had half or more of their small intestine removed. The small intestine and the large intestine, also called the colon, make up the bowel. The small…
A splenectomy is an operation to remove the spleen. The spleen plays a role in immunity against bacterial infections. The spleen is in the uppermost area of the left side of the abdomen, just under the diaphragm.
Splenectomy is rarely an emergency and can be scheduled…
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The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland that is normally located in lower front part of the neck. The thyroid produces hormones that help to ensure normal growth and development and that the body’s energy, metabolism, heart, muscles, and other organs are working properly.
What…
U
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IBD is a general term for noninfectious conditions that involve chronic inflammation of the intestines, causing symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, fevers, bleeding and growth problems.
Ulcerative…
What causes umbilical hernia?
Umbilical hernias are commonly found in infants and children. An umbilical hernia is a bulge of intraabdominal organs through an opening in at the base of the umbilicus (belly button). Every baby is born with this small…
The testicles normally are located in the abdomen before birth in male babies. Undescended testes happens when the testicle fails to descend into the scrotum after birth.
What causes undescended testes?
The descent of the testicles occurs as a result of many factors.…