Pediatric thoracic surgery, or chest surgery in children, is a subspecialty within pediatric surgery that addresses diseases and conditions affecting the thorax in children and adolescents. This field combines knowledge of pediatric anatomy, physiology, pathology, and advanced surgical techniques to manage both congenital and acquired thoracic conditions.
Thoracic Surgery
Pediatric thoracic surgery focuses on the diagnosis and surgical treatment of conditions affecting the thoracic cavity, which houses the lungs, trachea, esophagus, chest wall, diaphragm, and mediastinum.
Pediatric thoracic surgeons work in multidisciplinary teams alongside pediatricians, pediatric anesthesiologists, intensivists, and other specialists to ensure comprehensive and safe care.
Pediatric thoracic surgery is a medical approach that may be required from the first days of a child’s life through adolescence.
Types of Thoracic Surgery
A wide range of procedures can be performed in pediatric thoracic surgery, generally falling into three main categories.
Congenital anomalies are structural defects present at birth that can greatly impact a child’s respiratory or thoracic function. Conditions such as congenital diaphragmatic hernia, esophageal atresia with tracheoesophageal fistula, and congenital pulmonary malformations often require surgical correction to restore proper structure and function.
Treatment is also provided for acquired conditions that may arise from severe infections, trauma, or tumor development. Examples include thoracic empyema, chest trauma caused by accidents, and tumors located in the mediastinum or lungs.
Chest wall deformities are disorders in which the shape or structure of the chest impacts both appearance and respiratory or cardiovascular function. These may include pectus carinatum and pectus excavatum.
To treat these conditions, various procedures can be performed, such as pediatric thoracotomy, minimally invasive thoracoscopy, and pulmonary lobectomy, among others.
Thoracotomy
One commonly mentioned term in pediatric thoracic surgery is thoracotomy, a surgical procedure involving a large incision in the chest wall to access the organs inside the thoracic cavity.
Unlike minimally invasive procedures like thoracoscopy, thoracotomy provides complete visualization of the affected area, which is often necessary in complex cases.
Some of the most common situations that call for a pediatric thoracotomy include lung surgery, severe trauma involving the lungs or blood vessels, esophageal surgery, and certain infectious diseases in which it is necessary to drain intrathoracic abscesses or severe empyemas that have not responded adequately to conservative treatments.
Pediatric thoracic surgery includes both minimally invasive procedures and complex open surgeries to treat life-threatening conditions that pose serious risks to pediatric patients’ health.
Pediatric Thoracic Surgeons Near Me
At the ABC Medical Center’s Pediatrics Center, we have a team of highly trained pediatric thoracic surgery specialists dedicated to providing comprehensive and personalized care for all your surgical needs.
Our pediatric thoracic surgeons in Mexico City are committed to your well-being and use the latest technology and most advanced treatments to manage conditions such as correction of congenital thoracic malformations, resection of pulmonary tumors in children, pediatric pulmonary lobectomies, and more.
