Inspite of advances in pediatric surgery, anesthesia and good pre and post operative care, still many a times, babies are referred quite late for surgery, just because the referring doctor & the parents are not updated about the age at which a particular pediatric condition is corrected.
For parents, there baby is always small, and they avoid operations as much as possible, but it is our duty as doctor to guide them properly, as the age of operation matters in many pediatric surgical conditions.
Some commonly seen anomalies and their ideal age of operation.
Inguinal hernia- as soon as diagnosed.Congenital hydrocele- wait n watch till 1.5 to 2 yrs age, if doesnot resolve, needs surgery.Umbilical hernia- after 3 yrs , if no signs of irreducibilty before.Undescended testis- 6 mths... must complete orchiopexy by 6 mths age.Phimosis- if physiological , wait till at least 3 yrs, treat with steroids and then possible surgery if recurrent infections only.Hypospadias- between 6 mths to 15 mths is ideal age for repair.Tongue tie- between 10 mths to 1 yr.Cleft lip- 3 mthsCleft palate- 10 mthsPolydactyly - if with pedicle/ stalk- at birth to prevent gangrene n complications.Antenatally diagnosed anomalies- conselling by pediatric surgeon from antenatal period helps prevent postnatal panic,and parents are prepared mentally and financially for the treatable anomalies.
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