Surgical Care at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital—34th Street

Our board-certified children’s surgery experts provide the highest level of surgical care for children. Our program has been verified as a Level 1 Children’s Surgery Center by the American College of Surgeons in recognition of our ability to provide all types of surgery, including the most complex procedures, and our commitment to providing children with the safest, highest standard of surgical care.

In addition, we participate in the Pediatric National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP), demonstrating our commitment to the highest-quality children’s surgical care and allowing us to achieve excellent surgical outcomes in all specialties of children’s surgery.

Our entire team is dedicated to the specific needs of children and their families. From your first encounter with us, whether it’s for a planned surgery or an emergency procedure, you can trust that our entire team is committed to providing your child with treatment that is safe and effective and considers the needs of the entire family.

We perform nearly 6,000 surgeries a year at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital—34th Street. Our operating rooms, which have been designed and equipped to meet the unique needs of children, feature the latest surgical technology.

We provide specialized programs in the following areas:

• adolescent weight loss surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, for teens ages 13 to 17 with a body mass index of 40 or higher, or 35 or higher with an accompanying risk factor
• organ transplant, including kidney, liver, lung, and heart transplant
• pediatric cardiac surgery
• pediatric gastrointestinal surgery
• pediatric general surgery, for conditions that affect the abdomen, lungs, head, neck, and digestive and urinary systems, including surgical treatment for newborns to treat congenital conditions detected before birth
• pediatric neurosurgery, for epilepsy, spinal cord tumors, and other conditions
• pediatric ophthalmologic (eye) surgery
• pediatric orthopedic surgery, to treat injuries and conditions affecting bones, joints, and muscles
• pediatric otolaryngology (ear, nose, and throat) surgery
• pediatric plastic surgery, to correct congenital conditions and facial differences that affect the appearance and development of the face and skull
• pediatric urologic surgery

We also provide extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a lifesaving treatment for infants and older children with severe conditions that affect the heart and lungs. ECMO uses a heart–lung machine that takes over the work of these organs until they are strong enough to resume normal functioning.

Our children’s surgical programs work seamlessly with our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), pediatric intensive care unit, and cardiovascular critical care unit to provide the highest level of critical care support, resulting in superior outcomes for even the most complex surgical conditions. Our 47-bed NICU is designated a Regional Perinatal Center by the New York State Department of Health, which reflects our ability to provide the highest level of newborn care.

We also provide safe transport from other hospitals for children in need of our advanced, expert surgical care through our Pediatric and Neonatal Transport Program.

Recovery and Support

Through our Sala Institute for Child and Family Centered Care, we provide an array of support services to improve the experience, quality, and safety of care for children. Our child life specialists and creative arts therapists use play, art, and music to help children cope with the challenges of medical care. We also engage children and families as partners in care, and encourage parents to participate in Family-Centered Rounds, a daily meeting to discuss your child’s care with their care team. Safety is one of our highest priorities, and we participate in Children’s Hospitals’ Solutions for Patient Safety, an international network of children’s hospitals committed to efforts to provide the best outcomes for children.

We also offer resources to help your child and family prepare for surgery and for a hospital stay.