Norton Children’s is the destination for pediatric care in Louisville, Southern Indiana and beyond because of the expertise and sensitivity our specialists bring to treating children.

Every doctor at Norton Children’s Hospital specializes in caring for children. From the surgeons and anesthesiologists, to the intensive care doctors and those who specialize in your child’s condition.

Our pediatric surgeons are skilled in a wide variety of pediatric surgical procedures. Their expertise ranges from common procedures such as appendectomies and hernia repairs to complex neonatal diseases. We care for children of all ages, from the tiniest premature infants to young adults.

Your child will receive the most comprehensive and compassionate care while staying close to home.

Collaborating with University of Louisville Physicians for your care

Norton Children’s works with providers from University of Louisville Physicians to provide the best possible care for your child. These doctors are professors and active researchers helping advance medical care in the 21st century with clinical research and education. Norton Children’s Hospital serves as the primary pediatric teaching facility for the University of Louisville School of Medicine.

Pediatric surgical services

Trauma

Norton Children’s Hospital is the only pediatric trauma center in Louisville or Southern Indiana to receive the highest possible designation — Level 1 — from the American College of Surgeons. That means we are uniquely equipped to care for the most severely injured children.

Cancer

The American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer has accredited the pediatric cancer program at Norton Children’s Hospital.

Our specialists are experienced at treating pediatric solid tumors such as neuroblastoma, renal tumors, hepatoblastoma, lung tumors and sarcomas.

We work closely with medical oncologists to provide surgical care for children with other malignancies.

We participate in the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), which is a National Cancer Institute-supported clinical trials group, and is the world’s largest organization devoted exclusively to childhood and adolescent cancer research. The COG unites more than 9,000 experts in childhood cancer at more than 200 leading children’s hospitals, universities and cancer centers across North America, Australia, New Zealand and Europe in the fight against childhood cancer.

Our multidisciplinary tumor board, including surgeons, meets twice a month to discuss patient cases to ensure that all patients are getting the benefit of input from all specialties.

Chest wall deformities

We offer a variety of surgical and nonsurgical therapies for chest wall deformities such as pectus excavatum and pectus carinatum. These include surgical and minimally invasive repairs, as well as bracing.

Minimally invasive surgery

Our surgeons are experienced in the most up-to-date and advanced laparoscopic, endoscopic and thoracoscopic techniques for a variety of disease treatments.

Fetal diagnosis and care

Our surgeons work closely with obstetricians and maternal fetal medicine specialists to care for women carrying a baby who’s been diagnosed with a surgical condition. We provide prenatal counseling to discuss expectations for the child after delivery.

We have a multidisciplinary fetal board meeting where we can discuss complex cases and ensure that both the mother and child are receiving optimal care. Expectant parents are welcome to attend this conference to meet our team and  tour the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Neonatal care

Norton Children’s Hospital has the largest Level 1 NICU in the state. We have the skill and equipment to provide unsurpassed care to the tiniest patients.

From the smallest premature infants who need surgery for bowel perforations or necrotizing enterocolitis, to term babies with conditions such as congenital diaphragmatic hernias, anorectal malformations, abdominal wall defects, Hirschsprung’s disease, gastroschisis, omphalocele, intestinal atresia and esophageal atresia/tracheoesophageal fistula, we work closely with neonatologists to provide quality care.

Inflammatory bowel disease

In conjunction with our pediatric gastroenterologists, we provide comprehensive surgical and medical therapy for children and adolescents with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Gastroparesis and bowel motility disorders

Our surgeons are trained and experienced in the placement of sacral nerve stimulators, a promising technique for severe fecal incontinence that doesn’t respond to other treatment and chronic constipation. We also implant gastric stimulators for gastroparesis that doesn’t respond to other treatment.

ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation)

ECMO is a potentially lifesaving advanced therapy for some infants and children with heart or lung disease that doesn’t respond to conventional treatment. We work closely with our neonatologists and pediatric intensivists to determine which children would benefit from this therapy and to support them through their illness.

All of our surgeons have experience with this mode of therapy, and several have additional training specifically in management of ECMO.