Quality and Outcomes Reports - Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery

Surgical procedure volume

Why we measure it - 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 - The Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery Program at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin is among the largest in the United States. Our surgeons are all board certified and part of a multidisciplinary team that works closely with family members, primary care physicians and specialists to provide the best care to infants and children.

About the data - This data reflects all of the surgical procedures performed by our pediatric surgeons during the calendar years 2008 to 2011, both at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin and at Surgicenter of Greater Milwaukee.

Related dimensions of care:

What we're doing to provide the best care:  

  • We perform procedures at Children's Hospital or Surgicenter of Greater Milwaukee. The location depends on the patient's health status and the parents' preference. In either facility, patients are cared for by the same pediatric surgeon and board-certified pediatric anesthesiologist.
  • 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.
  • Throughout the day, a Children's Hospital anesthesiologist may take one patient safely through a complex operation lasting 15 hours or care for 20 patients undergoing short procedures.
  • 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 added inpatient beds with the Children's Hospital expansion and increased our recovery, consultation and waiting rooms at our Surgicenter location. Both expansions were completed in spring 2009.
  • We have a dedicated pediatric intensive care unit staffed by pediatric critical care nurses and other health care professionals trained in taking care of surgical patients.
  • We offer the Family Accommodations Program to help make travel arrangements and coordinate appointments for families traveling to our center from a long distance.  
  • We have a highly specialized Children's Transport Team available 24 hours a day to stabilize and transport seriously sick and injured infants and children to our center.
  • We offer fellowship training programs in pediatric surgery and surgical critical care. We also provide training in pediatric surgery to general surgical residents from The Medical College of Wisconsin and postgraduate physician assistants.

Patients and families: 

  • Take a preoperative tour, which will help prepare patients and families for the procedure and hospital stay.
  • Follow all eating and drinking restrictions before surgery.
  • Bathe your child with antibacterial soap the night before or day of the surgery.
  • Bring a list of the medications your child takes with you on the day of the surgery. Make sure to include the name of the medication, the dose/amount and how your child takes it (swallows a pill, drinks a liquid). This is important information to help us care for your child while he or she is in the hospital.
  • Provide your referring doctor's name and address so we can send a detailed letter about the surgery that is performed.
  • If you cannot keep a scheduled appointment, please call Central Scheduling at (877) 607-5280 or (414) 607-5280 as soon as possible to reschedule. This allows us to see another child who may require our care. 

Referring physicians:

  • Fill out and fax a referral form prior to sending the patient to Children's Hospital for outpatient ancillary services or a specialty clinic visit. 
  • Forward any pertinent patient documentation, including test results, to the specialty physician's office prior to the patient's visit. 
  • Referring physicians can access our specialists for consultation or transport 24 hours a day. Call our physician referral line at (800) 266-0366.  
  • Health care providers from outside of our southeastern Wisconsin service area are encouraged to use our web-based
    e-Consult service. This service is available for non-urgent patient cases only and gives providers access to our specialists to review patient cases, obtain medical advice or second opinions, and receive care recommendations for rare symptoms and illnesses.
    e-Consult is not to be used by the general public, parents/guardians or families.
  • Care guidelines for medical professionals
  • Educational materials
  • Pocket Directory

If you have questions about this data or information, email us or call (414) 266-6556.