Surgical procedure volume - newborns

Why we measure it - Newborns (0-28 days old) are the most fragile patients and are at higher risk for complications. Research shows that surgeons and hospitals that treat a large number of patients tend to provide better care and have improved outcomes for treatments and procedures.

What this means - We perform a high number of procedures per year for premature and full-term newborns with a wide range of diagnoses. We offer minimally invasive procedures on newborns when appropriate. 

About the data - These data reflect the number of surgical procedures for newborns performed by a general or thoracic surgeon.

Related dimensions of care:

What we're doing to provide the best care:

• All surgeons at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin are board eligible or qualified in pediatric surgery demonstrating their knowledge and expertise in caring for newborns.
• At Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, there are 35 board-certified anesthesiologists with subspecialty training in pediatric anesthesiology. Most are multiple-board certified in areas such as pediatric medicine, critical care and pain management.
• Anesthesiologists keep patients comfortable and safe during surgery and complex non-surgical procedures using a range of specialized medicines and equipment. Because children have different health care needs, experience sedating children is key to ensuring their safety. Sedatives are powerful medicines, and having a specialized, trained anesthesiologist at the bedside makes it safer for your child.
• At Children's Hospital, a pediatric anesthesiologist will sedate 200 to 1,400 children a year. To maintain performance at the highest level, it's important for a pediatric anesthesiologist to have experience in a setting like Children's that provides state-of-the-art care to a range of pediatric patients.
• We offer minimally invasive procedures for certain neonatal conditions, which may be more complicated but heal faster and cause less pain for the patient.
• We have experience performing exutero intrapartum treatment (EXIT) procedures for babies who need immediate surgery after birth. During an EXIT procedure, the baby is delivered and surgery takes place while the newborn is still connected to the mother by the umbilical cord for life support.
• We have developed a database to collect and analyze information regarding the quality of life and long-term survival of children born with congenital defects.
• Our surgeons are involved in clinical and bench research to improve our understanding of neonatal surgical diseases. We work closely with neonatologists at Children's Hospital to provide the best possible outcome for our babies.
• We run a multidisciplinary clinic with gastroenterologists and other experts to care for the potential long-term needs of children with complex anorectal malformations and imperforate anus.
• We provide long-term follow-up for children with serious surgical conditions to identify any problems as early as possible and provide support as necessary. This allows us to follow the long-term outcomes of our patients.
• Through the Fetal Concerns Center of Wisconsin, we offer prenatal counseling and intervention, when appropriate, to parents whose unborn baby is diagnosed with problems that may require surgery. Families and staff can anticipate the needs, plan care, and improve the care provided at birth.
• The Froedtert & Medical College Birth Center is located inside Children's Hospital to reduce the time it takes to get a fragile newborn into surgery. Research shows outcomes improve when the delivery room and operating room are close together. This also offers families the added convenience of having mother and baby hospitalized near one another.