Pediatric Surgeon
In order to treat both acute and persistent conditions in children’s health, pediatric surgery is often needed. With rapid advances in the technology we have in medicine today, many of these surgeries are now routine and have a very low risk factor.
In one of Dr. Colin Knight’s recent blogs, he explains some of the most common surgeries he’s performed as a pediatric surgeon.
The full transcript of a brief talk Dr. Colin Knight gave at the end of his 2007 fellowship can be found in three parts on Dr. Colin Knight’s website. See them here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.
I’ve been taking care of children as a doctor for over 15 years (4 years as a primary care doctor in the Air Force, 2 as a pediatric surgery fellow, and over 10 years in practice). In that time I’ve probably been involved with well over 6,000 children getting ready for surgery. In addition, I’ve been a father for 13 years now and in that time we’ve dealt with surgery, broken bones, numerous immunizations and office visits, and many minor procedures.
Most kids are brave. I’m not saying most children are not scared. They don’t run away screaming; they are brave in the face of their fear. I find that the only kids whose bravery really falters are those whose parents are visibly anxious about it. Much like the saying that dogs can smell fear, children are astute at reading their parents emotions. So what can we as doctors and parents do to help alleviate that fear for children who will need surgery? I think most fear stems from the unknown. Think about a horror movie. When are you scared? Not when the monster is attacking the hero, but when the hero is safe and you don’t know when the attack will be. It’s the same thing when riding a roller coaster the first time. I don’t know about you, but my heart is racing on the slow ride up, not when I’m zooming down. The best thing we can do for children to get them ready for surgery is to let them know what to expect. I’ve seen kids absolutely terrified the day of because their parents told them they are going to the movies and brought them in for surgery. Don’t be that parent.
To read more, please visit: DrColinKnight.com
Dr. Colin Knight 