Pediatric General Surgery

Contact Us

To contact Cottage Children's Medical Center, and the Grotenhuis Pediatric Clinics, please call 805-879-4240, or ask your primary care provider for a referral.

If surgery is the best treatment option for your baby, child or teenager, you don’t have to travel far for top-quality care. Trust your child’s care to the specially trained medical professionals at Cottage Children's Medical Center.

Experienced Pediatric Specialists

At Cottage Children's Medical Center, you’ll find experienced, board-certified pediatric surgeons skilled in the most advanced, least invasive general surgeries and thoracic (chest) procedures. We’ll help your family prepare for the operation and get excellent follow-up care, so your child achieves the best possible outcome.

Minimally Invasive Pediatric Surgery

Whenever possible, your child’s surgeon will perform the procedure using a minimally invasive laparoscopic or endoscopic technique that:

  • Involves only tiny incisions
  • Lets your child return home within 24 hours of surgery
  • Minimizes pain, blood loss and scarring

Extensive Surgical Services

Choose Cottage Children's Medical Center for many minimally invasive surgeries, including:

  • Appendectomy (appendix removal)
  • Adrenalectomy (adrenal gland removal)
  • Bowel resection
  • Cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal)
  • Hernia repair
  • Fundoplication (acid reflux treatment)
  • Gastrostomy (feeding tube insertion)
  • Liver biopsy
  • Lung biopsy and resection
  • Nephrectomy (kidney removal)
  • Pulmonary sequestration (lung growth) removal
  • Splenectomy (spleen removal)

Getting Ready for Surgery

After scheduling surgery, make an appointment at Cottage Children's Medical Center with a child life specialist, who will help your child prepare emotionally for the procedure and recovery period. During the conversation, you and your child may:

  • Ask questions
  • Discover what to expect in the operating room
  • See and learn about basic medical tools
  • Tour the hospital and see the area where he or she will stay

To meet with a child life specialist, call 805-637-5307.

On the day of surgery, you’ll remain with your child in the preoperative area and in the post-anesthesia care unit to reassure him or her. Your child may bring a favorite toy for extra comfort.