Committed to the Future – Children Come First at Yeditepe!

As Yeditepe University Hospital, our aim is to treat pediatric surgery cases in a contemporary, compassionate and flawless manner using all the tools of advanced technology and caring specialists.

The first thing we always need to bear in mind is that children are not just miniature copies of adults. On the contrary, children have unique anatomic, physiologic and psychological characteristics. Pediatric surgery is a creative and dynamic branch of surgery based on this awareness. The most crucial aspect of pediatric surgery, which works in a multidisciplinary manner with other branches of medicine, is an ability to establish close contact with the child and his or her family.

The Pediatric Surgery Department at Yeditepe University Hospital carries out polyclinic monitoring and treatment for surgical issues relating to the digestive system, urinary tract, chest cavity and heart in patients from the pre-natal stage to the age of 18. As well as open surgery procedures, the department performs various non-surgical endoscopic and laparoscopic interventions.

In addition, the department treats frequently occurring congenital spina bifida cases that require surgery, issues such as bedwetting, and specialized polyclinic services in conjunction with other branches. Most pediatric surgical cases are carried out on the same day, without the need for hospitalization.

The main surgical procedures carried out at the department are:

  • inguinal hernia,
  • hydrocele,
  • undescended testes,
  • circumcision,
  • catheter insertion
  • procedures such as endoscopy

 

Children can return home 2 or 3 hours after such surgery; special pain relief medication ensures that they do not experience undue post-op pain in the hospital or at home. As well as addressing neonatal anomalies requiring surgical correction, the pediatric surgery department works closely with Yeditepe’s childbirth team, neonatal intensive care doctors and pediatric experts in monitoring anomalies detected in the womb, as well as diagnostic and treatment interventions carried out in the womb.

In addition to this, pediatric surgeons are on hand for consultation in neonatal intensive care cases when required. Babies are monitored and cared for by specialist doctors and nurses in the neonatal intensive care unit after surgery. Surgical interventions to treat congenital anomalies that emerge later in childhood from the esophagus to the entire gastro – intestinal tract as far as the anus, appendicitis, suddenly occurring pathologies such as stomach and intestinal perforations, liver and biliary tract conditions, gallstones and enlarged spleens generally associated with blood diseases, are performed by pediatric surgeons. Moreover, procedures in cases such as congenital and non-congenital childhood lung and respiratory issues and the urgent removal of foreign bodies from the esophagus, are carried out by specialist pediatric surgeons.

Surgical and endoscopic interventions are also carried out by pediatric surgeons specializing in pediatric urology. These include congenital conditions such as cystic kidney diseases, congestion and widening of the urinary tracts, urinary leakage into the kidneys, bladder abnormalities, penile abnormalities, and the absence of the urinary opening, as well as later-developing conditions such as stones and trauma. Pediatric oncologists and surgeons are also specially trained to treat tumors that develop during childhood in the lung, liver and gastro-intestinal system, lymph nodes, kidneys, bladder and soft tissue. These specialists administer pre- and post-operative care as well as performing surgical treatments within in multidisciplinary approach. Finally, pediatric surgeons perform surgical tumor removal procedures such as port insertion and facilitative services during the medication stage of treatment.


A Case in Point: Inguinal Hernias in Baby Boys 

Talking to us about inguinal (groin) hernias, which are more prevalent in premature or overweight births, the Head of Yeditepe University Hospital Pediatric Surgery Department Prof. Dr. Selami Sözübir says “A first class hospital is a must for the successful surgical treatment of inguinal hernias.” Explaining that the groin region is the part of the body most commonly subject to pediatric surgical procedures, Professor Sözübir states that of these operations, inguinal hernia repair is the most frequently performed procedure of all.

“Inguinal hernias afflict about 3% of boys. Cases occur most frequently in premature births or when the baby is born overweight. As the testes complete their development in the mother’s womb, they descend from their original position in the abdomen to take their proper place in the scrotum. This movement begins around the 3rdmonth and is completed close to the time of birth.  The testes pass through the inguinal canal as they emerge from the abdomen. This canal normally closes and loses its function with the birth of the child. However, in the event that one or two of these canals fails to close, a hernia develops. If the open canal is wide, it can lead to herniated abdominal organs, or more commonly herniated bowels. This is what an inguinal is all about. Swelling may occur in the groin or the scrotum. Rather than pain, it leads to discomfort and sometimes to feelings of nausea.”