Surgical Services

Surgical Services oversees the young patient’s care from the time surgery is scheduled through discharge. Several groups collaborate to ensure the best in family-centered care. Anesthesiologists, nurses, medical-technical staff, and sterile processing technicians partner with Emergency Medicine, Radiology and the Laboratory to support Children's Hospital Colorado surgeons.

Anesthesia

Because the physiology, anatomy, biochemistry and emotional needs of children differ substantially from those of adults, pediatric anesthesiology is recognized as a distinct subspecialty. Thirty-three pediatric anesthesiologists, provide expert care for neonates through adolescents. The Department of Anesthesiology offers an accredited residency and the only pediatric anesthesiology fellowship in a seven-state region. These same physicians provide expert consultation and direction in pediatric patient pain care. Learn more about Anesthesia at Children's Hospital Colorado.

Nursing

The operating room nurses are part of a multidisciplinary team active in facilitating family-centered care, a more comforting approach to the surgical process and a less stressful recovery period.  Working with anesthesiologists and surgeons, our nurses focus on family-centered-care that involves parents in both the child’s preoperative and postoperative process.

Operating Rooms

Children's Hospital Colorado has 25 operating and procedure rooms, including two of the most technologically advanced pediatric endoscopic suites in the country. The operating rooms include high-definition visual screens linked to Radiology to provide real-time digital films during operative procedures. Teleconferencing capabilities enhance teaching and information collaboration. The endoscopic suites use such high-tech equipment as flat screen monitors, tiny precision devices and video cameras small enough to fit onto the end of a surgical scope. Operating room equipment includes microscopes, surgical navigation systems, the DaVinci robot, and the most recent versions of endoscopic and video equipment.

Minimally Invasive Surgery

Minimally invasive surgery is one of the fastest growing programs at Children's Hospital Colorado. Minimally invasive surgery is performed using a variety of techniques and devices, including the surgical DaVinci robot. This latest advancement in robotic and computer technology facilitates and enhances a minimally invasive approach, producing numerous benefits for young patients. While not all procedures can be converted to minimally invasive techniques, many can. Minimally invasive surgery minimizes pain for children and quickens the healing process. Instruments as small as 1.7 mm help ease surgical access, pain management and recovery.  This technology is applied to problems in the brain, chest, and abdomen as well as in the hollow organs such as the airway, gastrointestinal tract, and urinary system.