“Surgery” can be a daunting word to children and their parents. Even minor surgical procedures can seem frightening, especially without proper education about diagnoses and surgical indications. That’s why we take the time to explain everything in clear English and help put patients and their families at ease. Our pediatric surgical specialists are extensively trained to care for a wide variety of surgical problems encountered in children, with each surgeon board certified in his or her area of specialization.

From premature infants to young adults up to 20 years old, our patients benefit from the continuous interaction between our pediatric surgical teams and their colleagues working in such specialties as neonatology, oncology and gastroenterology. The Department of Surgery is actively involved in such multidisciplinary programs as our Level I Trauma Service, Solid Organ Transplantation, Pediatric Burn Center and Extra-Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) programs. Our specially trained pediatric surgery nurse practitioners and physician assistants provide consummate support to the Department of Surgery, as do many other hospital support services such as our Pre-Admission Program and our Child Life Program.

Surgical Sections:

Cardiothoracic Surgery

General and Thoracic Surgery

Neurosurgery

Ophthalmology

Orthopedic Surgery

Otolaryngology

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Urology

There is continuous interaction with our pediatric specialist colleagues (e.g., in Neonatology, Oncology, and Gastroenterology) in the care of premature infants through twenty years of age. Multidisciplinary programs involving the Department of Surgery are available at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children and include: a Level I Trauma Service, Solid Organ Transplantation, Pediatric Burn Center and ECMO. These and other unique programs provide state-of-the-art care to children of the Philadelphia region and beyond.

Many hospital services support the activities of the Department of Surgery, including the Pre-admission Program, Child Life Program, specially trained pediatric surgery nurse practitioners and physician assistants. 

Section of  Cardiothoracic Surgery

The Section of Cardiothoracic Surgery works closely together with the Section of Cardiology to provide comprehensive care for neonates, infants, children and adolescents with congenital and acquired heart disease. Evaluation of pediatric patients with heart problems is provided by St. Christopher's cardiologists at the Heart Center for Children and at a network of satellite offices.

Consultation with cardiac surgeons is available 24 hours a day. St. Christopher's staff of cardiothoracic surgeons is recognized throughout the region for providing excellent care for virtually all forms of heart disease in pediatric patients. A multi-disciplinary approach involving cardiothoracic surgeons, cardiologists, nurse practitioners, critical care physicians and social workers helps to meet the needs of patients and their families. Special expertise in the Section of Cardiothoracic Surgery results in the referral of patients requiring comprehensive treatment for a broad spectrum of cardiac diseases:

• Neonates with complex heart malformations such as hypoplastic left heart syndrome, transposition of the great arteries or interrupted aortic arch
• Patients with single ventricle anomalies
• Patients with complex forms of Tetralogy of Fallot and atrioventricular canal defects
• Patients with valvular heart disease needing either valve repair or tissue valve replacement (homograft or Ross procedure)
• Patients with heart rhythm disorders requiring pacemakers, implantable defibrillators or surgical treatment
• Patients with lung disorders related to congenital heart disease

Collaboration with interventional cardiologists in the Heart Center for Children allows many children with congenital heart anomalies to be treated without surgery, or with less surgery than would otherwise be necessary. Minimally invasive surgical techniques are also available, with the emphasis always on patient safety first, and on cosmetics second.

Peri-operative care of cardiothoracic patients is provided in a dedicated Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CCU), which is staffed by skilled nurses and managed by physician members of the Sections of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Cardiology 24 hours a day. Family participation in patient care is emphasized.

In general, a comprehensive approach to heart disease early in life results in the most satisfactory outcome and quality of life for the child and family.

To arrange an appointment or consultation: 215-427-5109

Appointments: 215-427-5109

Glenn Pelletier, MD

Assistant Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery

Medical School: Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, NH

Special Training:

Residency: Washington University, St. Louis, MO; University of Pennsylvania

Fellowship: The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Staff Appointment: 2004

Special Interests: Neonatal congenital heart surgery, adult congenital surgery, single ventricle congenital heart disease

Appointments: 215-427-5109

Division of  General, Thoracic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgery

The Division of General,  Thoracic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgery is staffed by board certified pediatric surgeons.  To obtain board certification in Pediatric Surgery, individuals must be trained and certified in General Surgery by the American Board of Surgery prior to undertaking a two-year Pediatric Surgery Fellowship. This intensive and specialized training offers pediatric surgeons the skills and expertise to manage complex problems in premature infants to patients up to 21 years of age. 

Both congenital and acquired problems are managed by the faculty and include birth anomalies that involve the liver, pancreas, gastrointestinal tract and lung development. Acquired abnormalities include localized infections and tumors involving the neck, chest and abdomen. The Section of General and Thoracic Surgery also is involved in extensive use of outpatient surgery for such problems as inguinal hernia, undescended testicle, removal of small cysts and masses in the skin and subcutaneous tissue and other simple surgical procedures. 

The Division is at the forefront in the use of minimally invasive techniques, a great advantage in the surgery of infants and children with shortened hospitalizations, less postoperative pain and minimal incisions.  Each member of the Section plays a significant role in the advanced Minimally Invasive Surgery Program. Solid organ (kidney and liver) transplantation has been a long-standing and successful program at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children.

Specific programs within the Section of General and Thoracic Surgery are listed below: 

• Advanced Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Pediatric Trauma
• Pediatric Kidney and Liver Transplantation
• Chest Wall Abnormalities (pectus excavatum and caranatum)
• Surgical Management of Obesity
• ECMO
• Management of Burns
• Basic science research in lung physiology and gastrointestinal physiology

The Division is proud to have a Fellowship Program approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to train one surgeon per year in Pediatric Surgery.

Marshall Z. Schwartz, MD

Surgeon-in-Chief

Department of Surgery

Surgical Director, Pediatric Renal Transplantation

Director, Pediatric Surgical Research Laboratory

Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics

Drexel University College of Medicine

Thomas Jefferson University

Medical School: University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN

Special Training:

Residency: Pediatric Surgery,  University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

Fellowship: Research,  University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN

Fellowship: Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School

Research: Pediatric Surgery

Staff Appointment: 2004

Special Interests: Neonatal and pediatric surgery, gastrointestinal anomalies, inflammatory bowel disease, chest wall deformity (pectus excavatum/caranatum), renal transplantation

Appointments: 215-427-5292

Matthew Moront, MD
Director, Pediatric Trauma
Assistant Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics

Medical School: Georgetown University, Washington, DC
Special Training:

Residency: University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester MA; Children’s National Medical Center,
Washington, DC; Georgetown University, School of Medicine, Washington, DC
Research Fellowship: Children’s Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL
Staff Appointment: 2000
Special Interests: Trauma, newborn anomalies, injury prevention

Appointments: 215-427-5292

Lindsay Grier Arthur, III, MD

Assistant Professor

Department of Surgery

Division of  Pediatric General, Thoracic and Minimally Invasive Surgery

Medical School: Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA
Special Training:
Residency: Surgery, Thomas Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA

Fellowship: Pediatric Surgery, Columbus Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH
Staff Appointment: 2007
Special Interests:

Appointments: 215-427-5292

Rajeev Prasad, MD

Department of Surgery 

Division of Pediatric General, Thoracic and Minimally Invasive Surgery

Undergraduate: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Medical School: Temple University Medical School, Philadelphia, PA

Special Training:

Residency:  General Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA

Fellowship: Pediatric Surgery, Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tenn.

Staff Appointment  2007

Special Interests: Minimally invasive surgery, neonatal surgery, oncologic surgery and chest wall deformitites

Appointments:  215-427-4956

Shaheen Timmapuri, MD
Department of Surgery
Division of Pediatric General, Thoracic and Minimally Invasive Surgery

Medical School: University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey - New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ
Residency: Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA
Fellowship: St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, Philadelphia, PA
Staff Appointment: 2008

Appointments: 215-427-4956

Section of  Neurosurgery

The Section of Neurosurgery cares for children with surgical problems related to the skull, brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves. Some of the more common reasons for referral to the Section are skull deformities, hydrocephalus, head injury, syringomyelia and the Chiari malformations, spinal dysraphism, brain tumors, cerebral palsy and medically intractable epilepsy. Brachial plexus reconstruction after birth injury is a special interest of the Section Chief.

The Section participates actively in St. Christopher’s multidisciplinary programs in spina bifida, epilepsy and craniofacial disorders. Close, collegial relationships with other pediatric subspecialties such as neonatology, pediatric neurology, developmental pediatrics, pediatric oncology, pediatric anesthesiology and intensive care, and the other pediatric surgical subspecialties ensure comprehensive, coordinated care for every infant, child and adolescent patient.

Joseph H. Piatt, Jr., MD, FAAP

Chief, Section of Neurosurgery

Professor of Neurosurgery

Medical School: University of Pennsylvania

Special Training:

Residency: Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC

Fellowship: The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada

Staff Appointment: 2000

Special Interests: Brachial plexus birth injury, brain tumors, Chiari malformation, craniofacial deformities and craniosynostosis, endoscopic intraventricular surgery, epilepsy, hydrocephalus, spasticity, spina bifida

Appointments: 215-427-5196

Section of  Ophthalmology

The Section of Ophthalmology provides comprehensive eye care for children. Diagnosis and treatment are performed using medical and surgical methods. Section surgeons coordinate the care of children with routine and complex ocular disorders. The Section also evaluates and treats vision problems and reading disorders. Areas of special expertise include: 

• Ptosis surgery
• Strabismus surgery and amblyopia treatment
• Congenital cataracts
• Tearing problems
• Pediatric glaucoma management
• Evaluation of the visual aspects of learning disorders
• Examination of premature infants for retinopathy of prematurity

Other special areas of interest include ophthalmological manifestations of systemic, metabolic and neurologic diseases in children.

An active trauma service is available 24-hours-a-day to handle ocular emergencies and consultations from the Emergency Department. Consultations and requests for second opinions are welcome.

Appointments: 215-427-8120 or 215-427-8121.

Ophthalmology and Pediatrics

Nicole DeLarato, MD

Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and Pediatrics

Medical School: UMDNJ – Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ

Special Training:

Residency: Scheie Eye Institute at the University of Pennsylvania

Fellowship: The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Staff Appointment: 2004

Special Interests: Strabismus and retinopathy of prematurity

Appointments: 215-427-8120

Section of Orthopedic Surgery

The Orthopedic Center for Children provides specialized care and treatment of conditions of bones and joints in infants, children and adolescents at the hospital and through a network of satellite offices. The expert staff maintains a special interest in the care of those orthopedic problems that most frequently affect babies, children and adolescents.

Comprehensive diagnostic and management services are available for patients with:

• Severe injury and infection
• Foot disorders
• Congenital abnormalities such as club feet and congenital disorders of the hand
• Hip disorders such as perthes disease and slipped capital femoral epiphysis
• Fractures
• Spine deformity such as scoliosis and spondylolisthesis
• Neuromuscular problems, primarily cerebral palsy

The Sports Care program treats acute and chronic sports injuries, including knee and ankle injuries, overuse injuries of the elbow and complex hip problems. It is available to both able-bodied and physically challenged children to promote active participation in athletics. Program physicians are also experienced in the treatment of spinal problems, including scoliosis and spondylolisthesis. Advanced techniques of limb lengthening and other methods of limb length equalization are available for individualized care.

The continuum of care extends beyond age 21, with subspecialty outpatient services for adult patients with cerebral palsy, short stature syndromes, spina bifida and Down Syndrome.  The advanced Motion Analysis Laboratory allows documented evaluation of complex motion disorders, such as walking problems in patients with cerebral palsy or alterations in running in able-bodied young athletes.

Physician Referral Line 215-427-8415

For more information or to make an appointment, please call 215-427-3131.

Peter D. Pizzutillo, MD

Chief, Section of Orthopedic Surgery

Director, Orthopedic Center for Children

Professor of Pediatrics and Orthopedic Surgery

Medical School: Jefferson Medical College

Special Training: Thomas Jefferson University Hospital

Residency: Thomas Jefferson University Hospital

Staff Appointment: 1995

Special Interests: Cerebral palsy; pediatric sports medicine; spinal deformities; congenital deformities

Appointments: 215-427-3131

Martin Herman, MD

Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Orthopedic Surgery

Medical School: Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY

Special Training:

Residency: University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick, NJ

Fellowship: University of Tennessee – Campbell Clinic, Memphis, TN

Staff Appointment: 2001

Special Interests: Spinal conditions in children and adolescents including scoliosis, orthopedic abnormalities in newborns, pediatric orthopedic trauma

Appointments: 215-427-3131

Juan Antonio Realyvasquez, MD

Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery

Medical School: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

Special Training:

Residency: Los Angeles County USC Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA

Fellowship: Alfred I. DuPont Institute, Wilmington, DE

Staff Appointment: 2000

Special Interests: Growth disturbances after trauma; foot problems with the growing child; cerebral palsy; gait disturbances

Appointments: 215-427-3131

Section of  Otolaryngology

The Section of Otolaryngology provides high-quality care for infants, children and adolescents with medical and surgical diseases of the ear, nose, sinuses and throat.

St. Christopher’s staff of otolaryngologists provides advanced diagnosis and treatment of disorders of human communication, hearing impairment and problems of the pediatric airway and voice.

The Section offers comprehensive diagnostic, therapeutic and reconstructive surgical services that are available on both an inpatient and outpatient basis. Team members use endoscopic laser surgery and other means to remove various lesions, both neoplastic and inflammatory, from the larynx and major conductive airway.

Looking toward the future, the Section is focusing its research efforts on obstructive sleep apnea, surgical correction of laryngotracheal stenosis, pediatric sinuses disease, pediatric voice disorders and care for the hearing-impaired.

David A. Zwillenberg, MD

Chief, Section of Pediatric Otolaryngology

Associate Professor of Pediatric Otolaryngology

Medical School: Medical College of Ohio, Toledo, OH

Residency: University of Pennsylvania

Staff Appointment: 2000

Special Interest: Pediatric airway problems

Appointments: 215-427-8915

Seth Zwillenberg, MD

Associate Professor of Pediatric Otolaryngology

Medical School: State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY

Residency: University of Pennsylvania, St. Vincent’s Hospital, New York, NY

Fellowship: Medical College of Pennsylvania

Staff Appointment: 1986

Special Interests: Pediatric sinusitis

Appointments: 215-427-8915

Section of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

The Section of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery has a highly qualified team of plastic surgeons offering specialized and comprehensive treatment for all pediatric plastic surgical problems, including congenital anomalies, disabilities and deformities. In addition, the Section also offers management of the following special-need populations.

Stuart J. Hulnick, MD, Burn Center

Children from the entire Delaware Valley region are often flown by helicopter from the scene of a fire to the Stuart J. Hulnick, MD, Burn Center at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. The Burn Center provides specialized care to children suffering from burns and smoke inhalation, or non-burn problems like Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN). More than 100 patients are treated by the Burn Center each year. The burn team, comprised of pediatric plastic surgeons, specialty surgeons, critical care intensivists, nurses, social workers, and respiratory, physical and occupational therapists, provides care for patients’ acute problems, as well as their rehabilitative and reconstructive needs.

Cleft Lip/Palate Center

The Center uses advanced methods that may be able to correct these problems within the first year of a child’s life, using a multidisciplinary approach that calls on plastic surgeons, oral surgeons, orthodontists, speech therapists, otolaryngologists and social service professionals. Specialists from the Section of Clinical Genetics and Dysmorphology and the Speech and Hearing Department participate in these cases when needed.

Craniofacial Services

At St. Christopher’s, the care and treatment of a patient’s craniofacial condition employs a multidisciplinary emphasis. Patients are evaluated by craniofacial plastic surgeons and neurosurgeons, as well as by the cleft lip/palate team.

Hand Surgery Center

The Center, opened in 1989, provides comprehensive care and therapy for children born with cleft fingers, web fingers or without thumbs. The Section also provides care for vascular malformations of the extremities, including laser treatment and other hand malformations.

Paul M. Glat, MD

Assistant Professor of Surgery

Medical School: New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY

Special Training:

Residency: New York University Medical Center, New York, NY

Fellowship: University of Pennsylvania Medical Center

Staff Appointment: 1997

Special Interests: Craniofacial surgery, pediatric plastic surgery, cleft lip and palate reconstruction, ear reconstruction, vascular malformations/laser surgery,

microsurgery, trauma surgery, cosmetic surgery

Appointments: 215-427-5191

Scott VanDuzer, MD

Assistant Professor

Medical School: Temple University School of Medicine

Special Training:

Residency: Temple University Hospital

Fellowship: Temple University Hospital

Staff Appointment: 2004

Special Interests: Hand Injuries and abnormalities, burns

Appointments: 215-427-5191

Short Procedure Unit

The Short Procedure Unit offers patients and their families the comfort and convenience of home recuperation, as opposed to hospital stays. The option is offered to all patients who do not require overnight inpatient services.

The Unit treats patients requiring a wide variety of surgical and diagnostic procedures, including hernias, excision of cysts, myringotomies, tonsils and adenoids and orchiopexies. Children are under the care of pediatric surgeons from each Section within the Department of Surgery at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, with anesthesia and nursing care from the same team as the inpatient surgical service.

The Short Procedure Unit is located directly adjacent to the operating room and is open weekdays. To refer a patient to the Short Procedure Unit, call the Department of Surgery.

Department of Surgery Appointments: 215-427-5292

Short Procedure Unit Admissions:

215-427-5457

Marshall Z. Schwartz, MD

215-427-5292

Director, Peri-operative Services

Roy E. Schwartz, MD:

215-427-5220

Clinical Director

Section of Urology

The Section of Urology at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children provides individualized, comprehensive and compassionate advanced evaluation, diagnosis and treatment for infants, children and adolescents with congenital and acquired disorders of the genitourinary tract.

Robert E. Steckler, MD

Acting Chief, Section of Urology

Assistant Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics

Medical School: Albany Medical College, Albany, NY

Residency: The New York Hospital – Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY

Fellowship: The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada

Staff Appointment: 2004

Special Interests: Bladder or kidney infections, undescended testicles, bladder and bowel dysfunction, obstructive uropathy and hydronephrosis

Appointments: 215-427-5434