Pediatric Surgery
BHT CLINIC İstanbul Tema Hastanesi Pediatric Surgery Department provides diagnosis and treatment for surgical and urological diseases in children aged 0-15 with an expert team in a child-friendly environment.
About the department
BHT CLINIC İstanbul Tema Hastanesi Pediatric Surgery Department is a specialized medical unit dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of surgical diseases in infants, children, and adolescents from the prenatal period up to the age of 15. Childhood diseases are not a smaller version of adult diseases; children's anatomy, physiology, and psychology are completely unique. Therefore, surgical diseases affecting children should only be treated by pediatric surgery specialists who have received special training in this field.
At our hospital, under child-friendly physical conditions and with our expert team led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Okumuş, we provide solutions to your children's surgical and urological problems using the most up-to-date medical approaches. Our goal is to ensure that both children and parents experience the hospital process in the most comfortable, painless, and safe way possible.
SCOPE OF SERVICES
WHEN SHOULD YOU CONSULT?
Treated Diseases and Conditions
In your search for pediatric surgery in Istanbul, our hospital provides services at international standards across a wide range of diseases. The main diseases diagnosed and treated in our department include:
Neonatal Surgery
In our Istanbul-based hospital for neonatal surgery, congenital anomalies of infants and conditions requiring emergency surgical intervention are meticulously managed. The main neonatal diseases we treat are:
- Esophageal Atresia: A condition where the baby's esophagus is congenitally closed or interrupted. This condition, which makes feeding impossible, is corrected surgically in the early period.
- Intestinal Atresia and Stenosis (Congenital Bowel Obstructions): A section of the intestines is closed or narrow. It manifests with bilious vomiting in the neonatal period and requires emergency surgery.
- Anorectal Malformations (Imperforate Anus): The baby's anus is congenitally closed or the digestive system opens to a different location.
- Diaphragmatic Hernia: A condition where intra-abdominal organs herniate into the chest cavity through a hole in the diaphragm muscle, obstructing breathing.
Pediatric Urology
If you are looking for a pediatric urologist, our expert team is by your side for kidney, bladder, and genital area diseases:
- Undescended Testicle Treatment: A condition in boys where the testicles, which should descend into the scrotum in the womb, fail to do so. Timely surgical intervention is essential to prevent future risks of infertility.
- Hypospadias: The urinary opening is located on the underside of the penis rather than at the tip. It requires special surgical repair, and these children should not undergo a standard circumcision.
- Urinary Tract Diseases: Kidney enlargement, urine leakage from the bladder to the kidney (Vesicoureteral Reflux - VUR), kidney outlet strictures, and neurological disorders of the bladder are successfully treated.
- Urinary Incontinence: Medical and surgical treatments for day and night urinary incontinence are planned.
General Pediatric Surgery and Intra-Abdominal Diseases
- Inguinal Hernia Surgery and Umbilical Hernia in Children: Organs protruding through weaknesses in the abdominal wall. Since inguinal hernias carry a risk of strangulation, they should be operated on once diagnosed.
- Appendicitis and Volvulus (Bowel Twist): Conditions manifesting with severe abdominal pain that require emergency surgery.
- Tumor Surgery: Kidney tumors, thoracic (chest) and abdominal masses, hemangiomas (vascular birthmarks), and lymphangiomas are treated.
Diagnostic Methods
In our pediatric surgery department, the diagnostic process is planned to minimize children's fears. Imaging procedures are completed quickly and comfortably with advanced ultrasonography, low-dose radiation X-rays, and child-friendly open MRI devices. In addition, special tests used in the diagnosis of urinary tract diseases, such as urodynamics and voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG), are meticulously performed by our radiology and surgical teams experienced in pediatric urology. Blood tests are carried out by our experienced pediatric nurses using fine needles that cause minimal discomfort to children.
Treatment Methods and Applications
Surgical treatments applied in our department are based on the most up-to-date medical guidelines and minimally invasive (causing minimal tissue damage) principles.
Advantages of Minimally Invasive (Laparoscopic) Surgeries in Children
Appendicitis, gallbladder diseases, undescended testicle, and some kidney surgeries can be performed using closed (laparoscopic) methods in our hospital. The biggest advantage of laparoscopic surgeries is that the procedure is performed through tiny holes of just a few millimeters instead of large incisions in the abdominal area. This way, your child feels much less pain after surgery, hospital stay is shortened, and they return to their normal play routine or school life much faster. Additionally, there is no prominent surgical scar aesthetically.
Pediatric Anesthesia Safety
One of the biggest concerns for parents during the surgery process is anesthesia. In our hospital, anesthesia applications are performed only by physicians specializing in pediatric anesthesia. The most appropriate anesthesia method for your child's age, weight, and general health condition is carefully selected. The operating room environment is designed to reduce children's anxiety, and a safe process is followed that allows you to be with your child until they fall asleep. Thanks to our modern anesthesia devices, vital signs are monitored second by second throughout the surgery.
Technology and Expert Team
BHT CLINIC İstanbul Tema Hastanesi holds JCI (Joint Commission International) accreditation and provides services at international quality and patient safety standards. Our Pediatric Surgery Department is managed by the deep expertise and experience of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Okumuş. Our hospital's 24/7 emergency department is supported by an on-call system of our pediatric surgery specialists, allowing for immediate intervention in emergencies such as appendicitis or strangulated hernia without wasting time. Our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is equipped with state-of-the-art life support devices and an expert neonatology team for the post-operative monitoring of newborn babies.
When Should You Consult a Doctor?
Certain symptoms in children may require an emergency or planned surgical evaluation. If you observe one or more of the following complaints, you should apply to our department without delay:
- Persistent, severe, and cramping abdominal pain
- Especially bilious (green-yellow) vomiting and refusal to feed
- Prominent swelling in the groin area, scrotum, or belly button
- One or both sides of the scrotum being empty in boys (suspected undescended testicle)
- Difficulty, pain, burning, or bleeding during urination
- Daytime or nighttime urinary incontinence problems
- Deformity in the penis or the urinary opening not being in its normal place
- Lack of stool (meconium) passage in a newborn baby within the first 24-48 hours
- Severe constipation that does not pass and does not improve with diet
Appointment and Examination Process
For your child's surgical or urological complaints, you can get detailed information 24/7 by calling our hospital's call center (0850 811 34 00). Bringing your child's previous test, ultrasound, and X-ray results, if any, on the day of examination will speed up the diagnostic process. Our physician will examine your child through play without frightening them and will share the treatment plan with you transparently. To create an appointment quickly and easily, you can visit our online appointment page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an inguinal hernia in children heal on its own?
No, there is no possibility of an inguinal hernia in children closing on its own or healing with medication. To prevent emergency and life-threatening risks such as hernia strangulation (entrapment of the intestines within the hernia sac), it should be operated on by a pediatric surgeon as soon as possible after diagnosis.
At what age should undescended testicle surgery be performed?
Timing is very important in the treatment of undescended testicles. It is recommended that the procedure of bringing the testicle down into the scrotum is ideally completed between 6 months and 1 year of age, and by 18 months at the latest. This minimizes the risks of infertility and tumors that may occur in the future.
What is the most suitable age for circumcision?
As long as there is no medical obstacle, circumcision can be easily performed in the neonatal period or within the first 2 years. However, during the period between 2 and 6 years of age (phallic stage), when children's psychological development and body perception are formed, surgical circumcision is generally not recommended except for mandatory medical conditions.
When is hypospadias surgery performed?
The treatment for hypospadias, a condition where the urinary opening is under the penis rather than at the tip, is surgical. To prevent the child from being psychologically affected, it is generally preferred to perform this surgery between 6 months and 1.5 years of age. These children must absolutely not undergo a standard circumcision, as the foreskin needs to be used for repair during the surgery.
