Welcome to the Division of Pediatric General Surgery at the Floating Hospital for Children/Tufts Medical Center. Our goal is to work with you and your family’s physician to provide excellent care of the surgical diseases of childhood. The scope of Pediatric General Surgery includes diseases of the lungs, esophagus, stomach, small and large intestine, liver and gallbladder, spleen and lymph nodes. Through the use of minimally invasive techniques, Ambulatory Surgery and traditional in-patient surgery we look to provide the safest care possible.
The unique resources at the Floating Hospital allow us to work closely with physicians in other departments to provide coordinated care for your child. Our active Pediatric Gastroenterology department works closely with us to manage diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative colitis), motility disorders and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Additionally, our two departments have collaborated in pioneering the use of laparoscopy with endoscopy for the placement of feeding tubes (LAPEG) and cecostomy tubes (LAPEC), in order to improve the safety and speed of tube insertion. The LAPEG procedure was recently featured on an OR-Live Webcast.
Neonates with congenital problems or acquired diseases of the newborn are cared for jointly with the Neonatology team. Children with hematologic malignancies (such as leukemia) and solid tumors (such as neuroblastoma or Wilm’s tumor) are followed closely by our Hematology-Oncology department before, during and after surgery.
As an ACS-verfied pediatric trauma center, the Floating Hospital is capable of treating a child with any severity of injury. Led by highly skilled pediatric surgeons, the multidisciplinary trauma team ensures the highest level of care for any child who is the victim of trauma. Support from the Kiwanis Foundation of New England has allowed us to maintain the Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Institute, a part of the division of Pediatric Surgery, since 1981. Through the Institute, innovative research of trauma-related diseases, such as closed-head injury, is being conducted. Additionally, KPTI-sponsored injury prevention programs are conducted across the region, reaching tens of thousands of children and their families annually.
From your initial visit to the office, through surgery and to your discharge, we strive to make the entire surgical experience as comfortable as possible. To this end, our Child Life specialists provide excellent support for your child during all phases of his or her visit.
To schedule an appointment please call 617-636-5025.
Pediatric Surgeons:
Walter J. Chwals, MD