Expanded Pediatric Surgical Services

The area’s only pediatric surgeons discuss the types of surgeries they provide

Chris Chang, M.D.

Chief, Pediatric Surgery
Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network More >>

William Hardin, M.D.

Vice Chair, Pediatric Surgical Services
Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network More >>

Thomas Whalen, M.D.

Chair, Department of Surgery
Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network More >>

• How has Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network expanded its pediatric surgical services?
• What types of surgery do you provide?
• What support services do you offer pediatric patients and their families?

Q: How has Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network expanded its pediatric surgical services?

A: With the addition of a third pediatric surgeon, William Hardin, M.D., we can now care for more children with surgical needs. In fact, we are the only pediatric surgeons in the region, so parents do not have to travel out of the area to find top-notch surgical care.

Dr. Hardin comes to us with extensive experience. He previously practiced at the Children’s Hospital of Alabama and was a professor of surgery and pediatrics at the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham. He was the director of trauma and burn services and medical director for information systems. In the operating room, he specializes in minimally invasive surgery, pediatric endoscopy, pediatric surgical oncology and the treatment of congenital vascular malformations.

We also work with the area’s only pediatric anesthesiologist who specializes in identifying and safely relieving pediatric patients’ pain before, during and after surgery.

Q: What types of surgery do you provide?

A: We provide general pediatric surgical care for numerous conditions. This includes gallbladder, spleen, adrenal glands, hernias, circumcision, pyloric stenosis, appendectomies, hypospadias repair and undescended testicles, as well as more complex procedures.

It’s important to know we use minimally invasive techniques. Laparoscopic procedures shorten hospital stays, lessen perioperative pain and provide more aesthetically pleasing surgical scars. The techniques are now used in young infants with conditions including inguinal hernias and pyloric stenosis, as well as older children who require removal of their gall bladders, spleens and even adrenal glands. These newer techniques, known as keyhole surgery, allow surgery to be performed through puncture wounds rather than large abdominal or chest incisions.

Q: What support services do you offer pediatric patients and their families?

A: To help children and their families feel more comfortable, we offer a child-friendly environment:

• A children’s play area
• An entertainment system with video games, television and DVDs
• A large waiting room with complimentary tea, coffee and crackers
• A pre-surgery area where children can continue to play while our team begins sedation
• A post-surgery recovery area with rooms designed for extra privacy

This page last updated 4/18/08 04:19 PM