Types of Surgery for Children 

What are some different types of surgery?

Surgery doesn't always mean large cuts (incisions). Depending on the type of surgery, there are several methods that may be done, including the following:

Open surgery. Open surgery means cutting skin and tissues. This is done so the surgeon has a direct access to the structures or organs involved. Examples of open surgery include the removal of organs, such as the gallbladder or kidney.

Minimally invasive surgery. Minimally invasive surgery refers to any surgical method that doesn't require a large cut. This lets the child recover faster and with less pain. Not all conditions can be treated this way. Some minimally invasive techniques include:

  • Laparoscopy uses a tube with a light and a camera lens at the end (laparoscope). It's used to examine organs, check for abnormalities, or do surgeries. Tissue samples may also be taken for exam and testing.

  • Endoscopy uses a small, flexible tube with a light and a camera lens at the end (endoscope). It's used to check the inside of the digestive tract. Tissue samples may also be taken for exam and testing.

  • Arthroscopy includes the use an endoscope so that surgeons can look at the inside of a joint. This method is most often used to view and do surgery inside of the knee joint.

  • Bronchoscopy is the exam of the main airways of the lungs (the bronchi) using a flexible tube (bronchoscope). Bronchoscopy helps assess and diagnose lung problems, assess blockages, take samples of tissue or fluid, or help remove a foreign body.

  • Cystoscopy involves checking the inside of the urethra and bladder cavity. It also uses a small, flexible tube with a light and a camera lens at the end (endoscope).

  • Gastroscopy is the exam of the stomach lining with a small, flexible tube with a light and a camera lens at the end (endoscope).

  • Laryngoscopy is the inspection of the voice box (larynx) with a small, flexible tube with a light and a camera lens at the end (laryngoscope).

  • Sigmoidoscopy involves viewing the rectum and sigmoid colon with a small, flexible tube with a light and a camera lens at the end (endoscope).

  • Colonoscopy is like a sigmoidoscopy but the endoscope is longer. This lets the healthcare provider view the entire large intestine, or colon.