Minimally Invasive Pediatric Surgery

Since it began in 2001, the minimally invasive surgery program at UChicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital has received worldwide recognition for improving surgery for children and adolescents. In many cases, minimally invasive surgery is the best surgical solution because it causes as little disruption as possible to a child’s body.

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What is Minimally Invasive Pediatric Surgery? (MIS)

Minimally invasive surgery requires smaller instruments and smaller incisions than traditional surgical methods. Children have less pain, heal faster and have fewer visible signs of their procedures. In most cases, minimally invasive surgery preserves the opportunity for children to resume their favorite activities, regain normal range of motion, have less overall scarring as they grow, and decreases the amount of scar tissue that forms thereby decreasing long-term complications as they grow. Not everyone thinks that far into your child’s future — but our pediatric surgeons do.

Minimally invasive surgery offers advantages over conventional surgery:

Less injury to tissue
Less post-operative pain
Reduced blood loss
Less scarring for body-conscious adolescents
Shorter hospital stays
Faster recovery and return to normal activities
Decreased scar tissue formation

Surgeons perform minimally invasive surgeries through small ports inserted through keyhole-size incisions in the chest (thoracoscopy) or abdomen (laparoscopy). A small camera is placed through the ports and gives the surgeon a high-definition picture inside the body. Other instruments adapted for the size of the child’s body, with tips the size of a pen or even smaller, enable surgeons to complete the procedure. This approach is different from open surgery, which requires a larger incision that can cause more pain and lead to more scar tissue development.

Benefits of Pediatric Minimally-Invasive Surgery

Patients experience less pain, blood loss and scarring along with a quicker recovery after minimally invasive surgery.

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Infographic showing the benefits of minimally-invasive surgery

Frequently Asked Questions about Minimally Invasive Pediatric Surgery

What qualifies as minimally invasive surgery?

Minimally invasive surgeries are procedures that use special surgical tools and techniques so only one or more small cuts (incisions) are needed. One of the most common tools used during a minimally invasive procedure is a laparoscope, a thin tube with a camera that allows a surgeon to see inside the body through a small incision.

Minimally invasive surgeries cause less pain, scarring and complications, compared to traditional, “open” surgeries that use larger incisions.

What is the difference between minimally invasive and robotic surgery?

Robotic surgery is a type of minimally invasive surgery that involves the use of special surgical robots, which are controlled by the surgeon. These advanced machines allow doctors to control surgical instruments with a high degree of precision. Surgeons at Comer Children’s are leaders in minimally invasive surgery and train other surgeons on how to use these techniques to treat children with a wide variety of issues.

What are the most common minimally invasive surgeries in children?

Surgeons at Comer Children’s can perform many pediatric surgeries using minimally invasive techniques. This includes:

Appendix removal (appendectomy)
Cyst removal
Feeding tube (gastrostomy tube) placement
Gallbladder removal (cholecystectomy)
Inguinal hernia repair
Spleen removal (splenectomy)
Median arcuate ligament release (MALS)
Ovarian procedures
Orchiopexy (for undescended testicles)
Intestinal resections
Lung resections
Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum
Mass biopsy and/or removal

Our surgeons also perform rarer, more complex minimally invasive surgeries, such as surgery to:

Remove part or all of the colon (colectomy) or part of the small intestine (ileocecectomy)
Remove choledochal cysts
Remove abnormal cysts or masses in the chest (bronchogenic cyst, esophageal duplication cyst)
Repair congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH)
Repair intestinal atresia
Resect scar tissue (lysis of adhesions)
Repair imperforate anus
Repair Hirschsprung’s disease

What are the drawbacks of minimally invasive surgery in kids?

Even though minimally invasive surgery is associated with less pain and other complications compared to traditional surgery, it still has risks. Some of these risks include:

Pain
Bleeding
Infection
Inadequate exposure such that it is not safe to perform

Some minimally invasive surgeries may also take longer than open surgery, so your child may need more anesthesia.

Minimally invasive surgery can only be performed at hospitals with advanced equipment and by surgeons with special training as well as pediatric anesthesiologists with specialized training. Surgeons at Comer Children’s are experts in minimally invasive surgery and know how to minimize these risks during their procedures. Before your child’s surgery, we will discuss the potential drawbacks so you can make the best decision for your child.

Why Choose Comer Children's for Minimally Invasive Surgery?

Pediatric general surgeons at Comer Children’s have performed thousands of minimally invasive procedures with excellent results for their young patients. Our surgeons have a long history of innovation in minimally invasive surgery and continue to explore the best ways to perform surgery.

Meet Our Pediatric General Surgery Team

Under the expert clinical leadership of Grace Mak, MD, our team provides the highest level of pediatric surgical care for children of all ages.

Edward Barksdale, MD

Pediatric Surgery

Marion Henry, MD, MPH

Pediatric Surgery

Brian Jones, MD

Pediatric Surgery

Jessica J. Kandel, MD

Pediatric Surgery

Charlotte Kvasnovsky, MD

Pediatric Surgery

Thomas K. Lee, MD

Pediatric Surgery

Request a Pediatric Surgery Appointment

We are currently experiencing a high volume of inquiries, leading to delayed response times. For faster assistance, please call 773-702-6169 to schedule your appointment.

If you have symptoms of an urgent nature, please call your doctor or go to the emergency room immediately.

For Referring Physicians

To refer or transfer a patient, call 877-UC-KID-MD (877-825-4363).

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