Children are not small adults. They have specialized care needs that can only be handled by trained pediatric doctors:

• A child’s airway is different in both size and shape from an adult’s, which makes inserting a breathing tube before surgery more difficult. The Children’s Hospital has pediatric anesthesiologists who know how to safely provide sleep medicine for each child.
• Children lose heat and fluids more easily than adults, so the Children’s Hospital takes extra steps during surgery to ensure children receive fluids and stay warm.
• Children have smaller organs and veins than adults. Pediatric surgeons at the Children’s Hospital have the expertise to operate in tiny spaces.
• Children may have a hard time explaining how they feel. Caregivers and child-life specialists at the Children’s Hospital know how to explain procedures, monitor pain and anticipate emotions so patients can have the best hospital experience possible.

Pediatric surgeons have spent additional time training to care for infants and children. In addition to medical school and residency training, pediatric specialists receive additional clinical training in the surgical evaluation and management of infants and children. When you choose a pediatric specialist, you can trust that he or she understands the very specific needs of a child before, during and after treatment. The Studer Family Children's Hospital offers pediatric specialists who care for a variety of surgical needs in children, including orthopedic, brain, craniofacial, gastrointestinal, urologic, lung, ear, nose and throat surgery.

Find a pediatric surgeon here

The Studer Family Children's Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart offers an entire team specially trained to care for children, including:

•  Pediatric radiologists
•  Pediatric anesthesiologists
•  Pediatric respiratory therapists
•  Pediatric physical, speech and occupational therapists
•  Pediatric dietary services
•  Pediatric social services
•  Child life program
•  Medical staff of more than 120 board-certified doctors across 30 pediatric specialties

Our new pediatric surgical and intensive care facilities at the Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart are growing the level of care we are able to provide to Gulf Coast families, including a level of expertise, training, technology and equipment unmatched across Northwest Florida.

Our six operating rooms and two new procedure rooms mean that pediatric surgeries are performed in ORs separate from those for adult surgeries. This is important because the needs of children are very different from adults. Children should be cared for in a clinical care and treatment environment different from the care of adults. 

To search for a pediatric surgeon at Studer Family Children's Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola, click here.