Common operations

Abstract

This chapter describes and illustrates key common operations in the paediatric patient. These include circumcision, the drainage of soft tissue abscesses, common nerve injuries, open and laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair, orchidopexy and scrotal exploration, laparotomy, minimally invasive access, pyloromyotomy, laparoscopic fundoplication, appendicectomy, intestinal anastomosis and stomas, and thoracotomy and thoracoscopy. The aim was to include a structured approach to guide the junior trainee in their performance—given that all operations no matter how complex they appear initially are simply a series of steps which when taken together lead to a logical whole. Though obviously not common, the principles behind robotic surgery are described.