Quality and Outcomes Reports - Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery

Surgical volume - minimally invasive procedures

Why we measure it - It is important to our patients and families that we perform procedures in the safest and most effective way possible. Our surgeons are able to offer a minimally invasive approach when performing many types of elective or emergent procedures. The choice of approach - open or minimally invasive - is decided based on the individual needs of the child. Often, these surgeries are complex and "cutting-edge," requiring greater surgical expertise. 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 can perform surgery in multiple ways to best suit the child's needs. As these data show, an increasing number of procedures performed at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin are using minimally invasive techniques.

About the data - These data reflect the total number of minimally invasive procedures per year.

Related dimensions of care:

What we're doing to provide the best care:

• We use infant and child-sized instruments and dedicated operating rooms with the latest technology to perform the most complex minimally invasive procedures. 
• We use quality improvement methods to better our outcomes, including making sure new procedures are implemented safely and that surgical repairs have long-term durability.
• We continue to investigate and develop better techniques before, during and after the operation, to improve safe recovery for children with congenital diaphragmatic hernias.
• Our published papers in pediatric minimally invasive surgery include A Comparison of Newborns Undergoing Thoracoscopic and Open Repair of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernias in the Journal of Pediatric Surgery, Laparoscopic and Thoracoscopic Esophagomyotomy of Children with Achalaisa in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, and Laparoscopic Diagnosis and Management of Neonatal Ovarian Torsion in the Journal of the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons.

Patients and families: 

• 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. 
• Arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment so we can gather needed information from you before you see the doctor.

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
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• Pocket Directory

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