Neonatal surgery is a range of surgical procedures carried out on newborns. This surgery is required when there is a life-threatening condition in the newborn. However, parents can help alleviate the pain or any discomfort caused due to Neonatal surgery.

The length of care depends on the recovery period and the overall improvement of the condition.

Here are a few tips for parents after the child undergoes Neonatal surgery:

• Create a safe and playful environment

Creating a safe and playful environment is very essential for a newborn baby. You can create a positive and safe environment by-

• Feeding the baby
• Giving the child a joyful environment
• Talking in a soft voice
• Turning off the lights or covering the baby
• Changing their position

Providing boundaries by swaddling and cheerfully talking to them. The use of touch can work wonders. Cuddling, gently touching, and giving a sense of comfort and security by holding their hand can help calm them down.

Neonates can communicate and express their pain by crying, facial grimacing, difficulty in calming, frequent hiccups, etc. If a parent experiences any of these things constantly and it won’t stop by mere comforting, consult the doctor immediately.

•   Distracting the child

Playing with them, getting them some toys, offering a pacifier for sucking, trying a hands-off approach to calm the baby, talking, singing, or humming for them so that the baby can sleep peacefully.

• Checking any alerting symptoms

Post-neonatal surgery symptoms should be checked if any. Symptoms like-

1. Wheezing
2. Grunting
3. Watery eyes.
4. Vomiting
5. Constipation and gas

• Soreness and swelling around the incision site

Aftercare can be complex and challenging at the same time. It is all about care, trust, and protection of the child. Taking proper care, nutrition and grooming can help the infant flourish.

Conclusion

This Neonatal surgery is challenging for parents and the child as well. After surgery, aftercare is of utmost importance for parents especially. In neonates and infants, it is difficult to understand whether the discomfort is due to surgery or any other reason. One should visit the finest doctor to get the best treatment, and we have one suggestion.

• Hernia Repair

Hernias occur when an organ or piece of tissue pushes through a weakened area in the abdominal wall. Hernias must be corrected soon after diagnosis else it can sometimes complicate. The surgeon makes a small incision, pushes the tissue back into place, repairs the defect, and closes the opening with stitches or surgical tape.

• Hydrocele Surgery

A hydrocele is a fluid-filled sac surrounding one or both of the testicles, which causes swelling and discomfort in the scrotum. This condition may disappear by itself by around one to one and a half years of age. After that, it definitely needs surgery to correct it. A pediatric surgeon is the best person to judge when to operate.

• Tongue Tie Correction

If a baby has a tight frenulum (a tongue ligament), then he/she might have trouble latching on to the mother’s breast. Babies may also develop impaired speech due to this condition. A frenulectomy is a simple procedure that cuts the lingual frenulum and allows normal tongue movement, facilitating breastfeeding and speech development.

• Undescended Testes

It is a condition in which one or both testes do not descend into the scrotum. It occurs in about 3 percent of full-term male infants and 30 percent of premature infants. Correction must be done by 7-8 months of age.

• Circumcision

This is the surgical removal of the foreskin that covers the head of the penis. Other than for religious reasons, it is performed in children who have very tight phimosis or who get repeated urinary tract infections.

Conclusion:

Babies’ bodies and bones are very soft, so they can get injured easily. If a baby has a serious injury, surgery may be necessary to prevent permanent damage. Most of these surgeries are minimally invasive because babies’ bodies are small and easy to operate on. If you need more detail, reach out to the Best Pediatric Surgeon in Pune – Dr. Vishesh Dikshit.

About Dr. Vishesh Dikshit 

Gallbladder Removal

Like adults, kids can also have gallbladder stones, which can get cured with the help of advanced gallbladder surgery.

Gastroschisis Surgery

Doctors often suggest this surgery for newborns if they suffer from a defect in the wall of the abdomen with the intestines coming out of there. Gastroschisis surgery helps to reconstruct the abdominal wall so that the contents are well protected.

Surgery for Curved Chest

This surgery is necessary when a kid’s chest develops disproportionately. This surgical treatment helps to correct the curvatures of the chest.

Recontruction of Reproductive Defects

Many a times children suffer from different inborn internal and external imperfections of the genitals. To tackle these congenital defects, pediatric surgeons need to perform reconstructive surgery.

Splenectomy

Most commonly performed for thalassemia patients, this surgery requires removal of the spleen.

Bariatric Surgery

Many children suffer from morbid obesity, and doctors often offer Bariatric surgery as a corrective measure.

Surgery to Remove the Intestine

Sometimes, newborns are affected with infection in their intestines which leads to a perforation. Only surgery can rectify this situation and becomes lifesaving in such situations.

Fundoplication for GERD

Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease is also known as acid reflux wherein the stomach acid starts flowing back into the esophagus. When medical treatment is unable to control this condition completely then it becomes necessary for such children to undergo Fundoplication surgery.

Conclusion : 

Some conditions which can be treated with Neonatal Laparoscopic Surgery are :

• Mesentric cysts.
• Ovarian cysts.
• Idiopathic Hypertrophic Pyloric Stenosis.
• Annular pancreas.
• Intestinal blockages.
• Esophageal atresia.
• Congenital diaphragmatic hernia.
• Hirschsprung’s disease.
• Lung tumors and lesions.
• Tracheoesophageal fistula.
• Necrotizing enterocolitis.

Conditions for Neonatal Laparoscopic Surgery

Every surgery is different. It depends on the specific condition, procedure and the age of the child. During a neonatal laparoscopic surgery –

• A doctor will give anesthesia to the child. They will remain asleep at the time of the procedure and they do not feel pain.
• The surgical team will make small keyhole like incisions instead of an open and large incision.
• They will then insert a camera or a miniature instrument into the incision.
• The performance of surgery is visualized on a monitor to see detailed and high-resolution images of the operating site.
• After the surgery the instruments are removed and the incisions are closed.
• After the procedure is done, your child will be transferred to a recovery unit.

Advantages of Neonatal Laparoscopic Surgery

Neonatal laparoscopic surgery is minimally invasive. Benefits consist of little to no scars, shorter recovery time and less pain. Also there is less chance of wound infection.

Dr. Vishesh Dikshit will help if your baby needs neonatal laparoscopic surgery. He is adept in the art of performing minimally invasive surgery, Thoracic and Thoracoscopic surgeries, Laparotomy and Laparoscopic surgeries, Minimal Access Urinary Stone Management etc. Book your appointment today with Dr. Vishesh Dikshit for any queries about your child’s condition.

Essential facts:

• Fetal surgeries are performed on babies while they are still in the womb. These are performed for conditions which have potential to hamper the baby’s proper development.
• Neonatal surgeries are performed on newborns and babies up to one month of age. They are performed for conditions which are either detected at birth or which even when detected in-utero can wait till birth for proper management.
• Both the modalities are highly risky and they require management by multidisciplinary teams for fruitful outcomes.

Birth defects treated by Fetal surgery:

Fetal surgery is used to treat babies while they are still in their mother’s womb. It is found to be helpful in treating conditions like Amniotic band syndrome, Twin anemia-polycythemia sequence, Bronco-pulmonary sequestration, Spina bifida, Neck masses, Lower urinary tract obstructions, Congenital high airway obstructions to name a few.

Diseases treated by neonatal surgery

This is performed on newborn babies and up to one month of age. Some common diseases are Anorectal malformations, Atresia of Esophagus and Intestine, Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis, Gastroschisis, Omphalocele, Necrotising enterocolitis, Congenital diaphragmatic hernia, Inguinal Hernia, Lung cysts and tumors, Spina bifida, Hydrocephalus, Posterior urethral valves etc.

Techniques for Fetal and Neonatal surgery

Fetal surgery is mainly conducted in four ways depending on the condition of the baby and the mother. These are: Needle based surgery, Fetoscopic surgery, Open fetal surgery and EXIT procedure (EX utero Intrapartum Treatment). There are only a few centers for fetal surgery in India. Neonatal surgery may be performed either in the conventional open way or via Minimal Access route like Thoracoscopy and Laparoscopy.