Department of Surgery

The Department of Surgery at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has a long history of providing compassionate, multidisciplinary care that is among the best in the nation. The Department was established in 1946 as the first pediatric surgical specialty in Philadelphia, and the second such service in North America.

In addition to tens of thousands of surgeries performed each year, the department has a robust research program in all major surgical subspecialties including cardiothoracic surgery, general thoracic and fetal surgery, neurosurgery, ophthalmology, orthopedic surgery, otorhinolaryngology, plastic and reconstructive surgery, and urology.

Research within the department is focused on developing new, innovative, minimally invasive procedures specifically applicable to the unique and challenging surgical problems of children, understanding the basic mechanisms of diseases that require surgery, and investigating a variety of treatment approaches.

Research is conducted by renowned faculty in all of the Department’s major divisions and encompasses state-of-the-art laboratory, translational, and clinical research approaches.