Conditions We Treat

Seattle Children’s caring surgeons treat newborns through young adults with all types of conditions. We take a team-based approach and work closely with your family and with other specialists at Seattle Children’s to care for your child.

Please contact the Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery Department at 206-987-2794 if you have concerns about any condition, even if it’s not listed here. Providers, see how to refer a patient.

Conditions Affecting the Digestive System

We work as a team with Seattle Children’s specialists in reconstructive pelvic medicine and gastroenterology to care for children with problems that affect their digestive system. We diagnose and treat these and other conditions:

• Achalasia and other motility disorders that affect how food moves through the digestive system
• Appendicitis  
• Choledochal cyst  
• Crohn's disease  
• Esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula  
• Gastroesophageal reflux  
• Gastroschisis  
• Hirschsprung disease  
• Imperforate anus and anorectal malformations  
• Inflammatory bowel disease  
• Intestinal atresia  
• Intestinal failure  
• Intestinal malrotation  
• Intussusception  
• Meckel diverticulum
• Meconium ileus  
• Necrotizing enterocolitis  
• Omphalocele  
• Polyps
• Pyloric stenosis  
• Short bowel syndrome  
• Ulcerative colitis  
• Umbilical hernia  

Conditions Involving the Liver or Gall Bladder

If your child has a problem with their liver or gall bladder, we partner with specialists in Gastroenterology and Hepatology. For conditions that may require transplant, we work closely with our Transplant Center. We treat these and other conditions:

• Biliary atresia  
• Choledochal cyst  
• Gallstones  
• Liver or portal hypertension

Problems Affecting the Chest

To care for children with conditions affecting the chest cavity, our surgeons often work with specialists in orthopedics, pulmonary medicine and orthotics and prosthetics. Conditions we treat include:

• Airway problems, including tracheomalacia and bronchomalacia
• Congenital diaphragmatic hernia and other disorders of the diaphragm
• Congenital pulmonary airway malformations and sequestrations
• Empyema
• Jeune syndrome  
• Pectus carinatum  
• Pectus excavatum  
• Scoliosis and other spinal disorders that cause TIS and affect breathing
• Thoracic insufficiency syndrome (TIS)
• Vascular rings

Conditions That Are Present at Birth (Congenital)

We work closely with specialists in Fetal Care and Treatment Center and newborn care to care for babies with conditions that are present during pregnancy (prenatal) or at birth (congenital). Many conditions listed above in the digestive system section are present at birth. We diagnose and treat congenital conditions in other parts of the body as well, including:

• Branchial cleft cysts and sinuses
• Congenital diaphragmatic hernia and other disorders of the diaphragm
• Congenital lung malformations  
• Conjoined twins  
• Inguinal hernia  
• Jeune syndrome  
• Thyroglossal duct cysts (PDF)
• Problems with the belly button (umbilicus), such as drainage

Cancerous and Noncancerous Tumors

We work as a team with cancer specialists to care for children with cancerous and noncancerous (benign) tumors. These include:

• Germ cell tumors  
• Kidney tumors (Wilms tumor)
• Liver tumors  
• Neuroblastoma  
• Neurofibromas
• Rhabdomyosarcoma and other types of soft-tissue tumors  
• Teratomas

Problems with Blood or Lymph Vessels (Vascular)

We work closely with Vascular Anomalies specialists to care for children with problems related to the tubes that carry blood or clear body fluid called lymph. These conditions include:

• Hemangioma
• Lymphangioma  
• Middle aorta syndrome (MAS)
• Renovascular hypertension
• Vascular anomalies  

Conditions Related to Reproductive Organs

• We team up with urologists to care for boys with problems affecting their genitals, such as hydrocele and undescended testicles (PDF). (Amharic) (Arabic) (Farsi) (French) (Russian) (Simplified Chinese) (Somali)  (Spanish) (Vietnamese)
• We partner with gynecologists to care for girls with adolescent gynecological problems, such as ovarian cysts and masses.

Disorders of the Blood and Spleen

For blood conditions affecting the spleen, we partner with hematologists to treat your child. These conditions include:

• Hereditary spherocytosis
• Immune thrombocytopenic purpura

Other Conditions

We treat children with many other conditions, including:

• Dermoid cyst and other cysts, lumps and bumps
• Endocrine conditions, including problems with the thyroid, parathyroid or adrenal glands

Contact Us

Contact our Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery Department at 206-987-2794 for an appointment, a second opinion or more information.

To make an appointment, you can call us directly or get a referral from your child’s primary care provider. We encourage you to coordinate with your pediatrician or family doctor when coming to Seattle Children’s.

We see patients in clinic in Bellevue, Everett, Federal Way, Seattle and Tri-Cities.

Providers, see how to refer a patient.