Neonatal Surgery - UCLA Fetal Care Center - Pediatric Surgery

Find your care

UCLA Health pediatric surgeons specialize in delivering outstanding surgical care to every child. Call 310-206-2429(Link opens phone app) to connect with an expert.

Caring for babies with congenital conditions

At the UCLA Fetal Care Center, our dedicated team of pediatric surgeons is here to support you and your baby. We specialize in treating newborns with various gastrointestinal (digestive) and thoracic (chest) conditions. With our unmatched expertise and collaborative approach, we provide the care your baby needs for the best possible start in life.

Prenatal support for expectant parents

If you’re expecting a baby diagnosed with a congenital condition, we’re here to support you every step of the way. Our surgeons work closely with neonatologists, pediatric providers, and maternal-fetal specialists to offer prenatal counseling and coordinated care. During your prenatal visit, you’ll also have the opportunity to tour our advanced Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). For personalized assistance, please call us at 310-206-2429.

Specialized post-delivery care for mothers and newborns

At Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, our High Risk Obstetrical Unit and NICU are dedicated to providing exceptional care for mothers and newborns, especially during critical times after delivery. We keep our labor and delivery units close to the NICU, so you and your baby can stay together. Our NICU is also a regional referral center, with a specialized neonatal transport team ready to care for critically ill newborns who need expert surgical attention.

ECMO: Advanced life-saving technology

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a life-support technology similar to machines used in open-heart surgery. ECMO provides vital support for newborns and children experiencing severe but treatable respiratory or heart failure. For newborns, ECMO works like a return to the support of a mother’s placenta, helping them transition smoothly to breathing on their own.

Since 1998, our ECMO program has successfully treated conditions such as congenital diaphragmatic hernia, meconium aspiration, pulmonary hypertension, and severe pneumonia. UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital is one of the few centers nationwide offering ECMO and has been honored with the ECMO Award of Excellence from the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization.

Commonly treated conditions

At UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, our pediatric surgeons are highly experienced performing complex surgeries on newborns. We commonly diagnose and treat the following conditions:

Anorectal malformations (imperforate anus, perineal fistula, recto-urethral fistula, cloaca)
Biliary atresia
Choledochal cyst
Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (CCAM) and pulmonary sequestration
Congenital diaphragmatic hernia
Congenital intestinal atresia (duodenal atresia, jejunal-ileal atresia, colonic atresia)
Conjoined twins
Esophageal atresia and/or tracheoesophageal fistula
Hirschsprung's disease
Intestinal obstruction or pseudo-obstruction
Malrotation
Meconium ileus
Meconium peritonitis and pseudocyst
Midgut volvulus
Necrotizing enterocolitis
Omphalocele
Patent ductus arteriosus