General Pediatric Surgery

Safe, Quality Surgical Care in a Child-centered Environment

CHKD's team of pediatric surgeons provides diagnostic, therapeutic and surgical care for a wide range of diseases and conditions in children from birth to age 21. 

Safety guides every surgical decision from start to finish at CHKD. That’s one reason why the American College of Surgeons (ACS) has repeatedly granted CHKD the highest level of certification for pediatric surgical care. 

To receive this prestigious certification, the hospital’s surgical program, which includes the main hospital in Norfolk and surgery centers at Concert Drive in Virginia Beach and Oyster Point in Newport News, met rigorous criteria for staffing, training, facility features, and protocols for care.  

Our goal is to not only safely treat the immediate surgical issue but also ensure the child’s healthy growth and development into adulthood. All services are provided in a child-friendly atmosphere that eases worries and anxieties of both children and their parents.

Prenatal consultations are also provided for expectant parents regarding conditions diagnosed in a unborn child. 

Conditions We Treat

• Appendicitis
• Anorectal malformations
• Congenital and acquired lesions
• Disorders of the abdomen and gastrointestinal tract
• Esophageal and pulmonary problems
• Hernias (inguinal, umbilical)
• Hirschsprung's disease
  
  
• Neck masses
• Pectus excavatum (sunken or funnel chest)
• Pectus carinatum
• Pyloric stenosis
• Thoracic conditions
• Tumors
  
  

Eating and Drinking Rules for Surgery

For your child's safety, it is very important that your child’s stomach is empty when they have surgery or a procedure. When your child is given anesthesia or sedation medicines, food and stomach acid can rise up and go into the lungs. This can cause pneumonia and other potentially life-threatening complications. Please review our eating and drinking rules for patients who will be having surgery or a procedure at CHKD.

Insurance and Billing Information

We accept all major insurances, including Virginia Medicaid, Tricare, and Cardinal Health. Please take the time to understand how your insurance plan works, especially regarding annual deductibles and co-pays, which can affect your out-of-pocket costs.

Unless you have HMO insurance that requires a referral from a primary care physician, a referral is not required. You can simply call our office to make an appointment.

If your insurance does require a referral, make sure it has not expired and remember to bring it with you to the appointment.

Everyone should bring a government-issued photo ID and their insurance card to every medical appointment.

We offer in-depth information about insurance in our billing and insurance section.