Minimally Invasive Surgery

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UCLA Health pediatric surgeons specialize in delivering outstanding surgical care to every child. Call 310-206-2429 to connect with an expert.

Advanced surgical techniques to help your child recover faster

At UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, our pediatric surgeons specialize in minimally invasive surgeries, often called 'band-aid' surgeries. These advanced procedures, including those for the abdomen (laparoscopic) and chest (thoracoscopic), are commonly performed on children and newborns at UCLA.

Minimally invasive surgery involves making tiny cuts around the belly button or chest to insert special cameras and tools. These small incisions allow our surgeons to perform the procedure without needing large cuts, which are common in traditional surgery. This approach leads to less pain after surgery and a quicker recovery for your child. Our expert team can perform these surgeries on infants and children of all sizes, even newborns weighing just a few pounds.

Top-tier facilities equipped with the latest surgical technology

Our operating rooms are equipped with the latest high-definition technology, robotic tools, and telebroadcasting capabilities, making them some of the most state-of-the-art facilities available. This technology allows our pediatric surgeons to deliver top-notch care to our young patients.

Commonly performed procedures

Our team of pediatric surgeons at UCLA specializes in a wide range of minimally invasive procedures, including:

Abdominal (laparoscopic) procedures

Diagnostic Laparoscopy: Evaluation and potential resection for cancer and other conditions.
Laparoscopic Appendectomy: Removal of the appendix for appendicitis.
Laparoscopic Bowel Resections: Including endorectal pull-through procedures for Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn's disease, and Familial Adenomatous Polyposis.
Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: Removal of the gallbladder.
Laparoscopic Duodenal Atresia Repair: Correction for intestinal obstruction in newborns.
Laparoscopic Endorectal Colonic Pull-Through: For infants with Hirschsprung's disease or anorectal malformations.
Laparoscopic Gastrostomy: Placement of a feeding tube.
Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair: Correction of inguinal hernia.
Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication: Treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Laparoscopic Oophorectomy or Cystectomy: Removal of an ovary or ovarian cysts.
Laparoscopic Procedures for Intussusception and Malrotation: Correction of intestinal blockages and abnormal bowel rotations.
Laparoscopic Pyloromyotomy: Treatment for pyloric stenosis.
Laparoscopic Pyloroplasty: Correction for gastroparesis.
Laparoscopic Splenectomy: Removal of the spleen, partial or complete.

Chest (thoracoscopic) procedures

Minimally Invasive Nuss Repair: Correction of pectus excavatum (sunken chest syndrome).
Thoracoscopic Lung Resection: Removal of lung tissue affected by cancer, tumors, cysts, or blebs.
Thoracoscopic Decortication of Empyema: Removal of infection around the lung associated with pneumonia.
Thoracoscopic Tracheoesophageal Fistula and Esophageal Atresia Repair: Correction for esophageal obstruction in newborns.
Thoracoscopic Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Repair: Repair of diaphragmatic defect in newborns.