Comer Children's urology team has the experience and expertise you can feel confident in if you have a children who needs urologic surgery. Many pediatric urological conditions can be diagnosed and treated with minimally invasive procedures, such as endoscopy and laparoscopy, performed with sophisticated, thin instruments. These procedures allow surgeons to probe and operate in very small areas of the body and save the patient the pain and scarring of a large incision.
Procedures Offered
- Bladder and neurogenic bladder cystoplasty: Reconstruction of the bladder (enlargement of bladder with bowel)
- Fetal urological surgery: Surgery before the fetus is born
- Heminephrectomy/ureterectomy: Removal of part of one of the kidneys (duplex kidney) and/or removal of the ureter
- Intersex: Removal of abnormal gonads, ovarian cyst
- Megaureter corrections: Correction of dilated and obstructed ureter
- Mitrofanoff appendicovesicostomy: Surgical procedure attaching the appendix to the urinary bladder to provide an outlet for urine (continent catheterizable channel)
- Nephrectomy/nephroureterctomy: removal of one of the kidneys/ removal of a kidney and the ureter
- Orchidopexy: Correction of undescended testis
- Pyeloplasty: Removal of an obstruction (UPJ) and reconnection of the kidney drainage system
- Ureteric reimplantation: Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR)
- Varicocele treatment: Ligation of abnormal dilated veins draining the testis
The benefits of minimally invasive urological surgery for our young patients include:
- Fewer complications
- Less scarring
- Less damage to tissue and muscle
- Quicker return to normal activities
- Reduced pain
- Reduced blood loss
- Shorter stay in the hospital
Frequently Asked Questions: Pediatric Urology Minimally Invasive
Our pediatric urology team will determine the best type of surgery for your child based on your child’s thorough exam, medical history and diagnosis. Many urological conditions are now diagnosed and treated with minimally invasive techniques. Robotic-assisted surgery is typically used when a complex reconstruction such as pyeloplasty (kidney outflow obstruction), cystoplasty (bladder augmentation) or Mitrofanoff appendicovesicostomy (catheterize channel to empty bladder).
All surgeries involve risks such as bleeding, infection and injury to nearby organs. The risk of complications with minimally invasive surgery is lower than with open surgery. Surgeons at Comer Children’s are very experienced in minimally invasive surgery for children.
Reconstruction of penile and genitalia anomalies, except intra-abdominal and impalpable testis, requires open surgery. Urologic surgery for most newborns is also done by the open approach because the small size of these patients necessitates a view of the full surgical area.
Endoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that allows surgeons to inspect body organs using a probe that is inserted into natural body openings. Images from a tiny camera on the end of the probe are projected on a video screen. Endoscopy is used for diagnosing conditions of the bladder, ureter and kidneys.
In laparoscopic surgery, the surgeon makes two to three small (1/4 to 1/2 inch) incisions in the abdominal skin or posterior abdominal wall. These keyhole openings allow for the insertion of small surgical instruments to be placed in the abdominal cavity. A tiny camera at the tip of the instruments allows the surgeon to view the operating field. Laparoscopy is generally done under general anesthesia.
Meet Our Pediatric Urologist
Our team provides compassionate care, using the most up-to-date treatments and methods, including robotic-assisted surgery. We do everything possible to make sure recovery and transition back to regular activities goes smoothly. In each case, the patient’s comfort comes first.
Pediatric Urology Team Brochure
