Contact
Phone: (02) 9382 1776 or (02) 9382 1784 (in hours)
After hours phone: (02) 9382 1111(ask for the general paediatric surgery registrar to be paged)
Email:
If your child is acutely unwell, please seek medical attention from your family doctor (GP), local emergency department, Healthdirect, or call an ambulance (dial 000).
About our service
The department provides elective surgery, acute care surgery in hours and after hours, emergency inpatient consultations and outpatient clinics.
We perform all general paediatric surgery (with an emphasis on keyhole surgery), emergency surgery, oncological surgery, hepatobiliary surgery, trauma, colorectal surgery, vascular anomalies, urology, thoracic surgery, burns management.
We are co-located with the Royal Hospital for Women (RHW) and Prince of Wales Hospital (POWH) on the Randwick Campus to allow active collaboration to provide highly-specialised tertiary and quaternary surgical services, including:
- antenatal and postnatal care of complex neonates
- tracheal reconstruction and other airway surgery
- thoracic surgery including chest wall reconstruction
- vascular surgery
- renal transplant surgery
- adolescent surgical care and complex paediatric and adolescent gynaecology.
The collaboration with POWH provides an excellent framework for the transition of surgical care to adult services.
Our surgeons also play crucial roles in other multidisciplinary services including Kids Cancer Centre, OA-TOF Clinic, Complex Airway Reconstruction and Aero-digestive Service, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinic, Platypus Clinic (Neonatal Surgical Bowel Clinic), Neonatal Lung Clinic and the Vascular Birthmarks Clinic.
As a teaching hospital, we are focused on ensuring high quality paediatric surgical care is available for generations to come. Our surgeons are actively involved in teaching and supervising medical students, training future paediatric surgeons and undertaking collaborative research.
Referral process for clinicians
Our department is using Consultmed to manage referrals. The Consultmed platform allows health professionals to send e-referrals to us securely.
Consultmed questions and technical support: helpdesk@consultmed.co
Referral and appointment process for parents and carers
Request a referral
To make an appointment at our clinic, you will need a referral from your GP, paediatrician or specialist.
They will assess your child, discuss your concerns, and make a referral to the appropriate service.
Track your referral
Our department uses Consultmed to manage referrals. Your referring clinician sends the e-referral to us using the secure Consultmed platform.
Once we receive the referral, we will send you an email with your tracking information. We will update you as we process the referral and book your appointment.
To receive these updates, please ask your referring clinician to include your email on the referral.
If your clinician has questions about Consultmed or require technical support, they can contact helpdesk@consultmed.co.
Need support?
If you need help or have questions about the referral and appointment process, please contact us.
Phone: (02) 9382 1776 or (02) 9382 1784 (during business hours)
Clinic information
About clinic appointments
When you make an appointment with us, please let us know about any particular needs you or your child may have so we can do our best to meet them.
On the day of the clinic, your child will be seen by a member of the surgical team, which could include residents, medical students, fellows and/or a specialist nurse.
We’ll talk with you, and if appropriate, your child, about why you have come to the clinic, and we’ll ask you some questions to get the full picture. The doctor will probably need to examine your child.
You are welcome to be there during the examination, although if you would prefer not to be (for example, if your child is a bit older and wants some privacy) another member of the team or one of the nurses will be there with the doctor while your child is examined.
Some children don't want to be examined which is perfectly understandable. We use positive techniques to encourage them to cooperate, and you can help with that. We will do our best not to upset your child (or you!). If you have any concerns, please let us know.
Sometimes a diagnosis can be made with a clinical assessment only. Sometimes we need more information from tests. These may include blood tests, x-rays, ultrasounds or other scans. If any tests are needed, we will organise these and afterwards, we’ll get you to come back to the clinic so we can review the results.
Once we have a diagnosis, we will plan how to best manage things with you. Depending on the problem, follow up visits or referral to another specialist may be recommended. Sometimes, your family doctor can continue management.
If your child needs an operation, we’ll thoroughly explain the procedure and can use diagrams and picture if needed. We want to share the decision-making with you, so please feel free to ask any questions or ask if something isn’t clear. We’ll also talk about the operation with your child if appropriate, in ways they can understand.
We don’t want to frighten your child, but it’s important to be honest and explain things in their terms. We will reassure them about any questions they have.
You will need to sign a consent form for the operation and to fill in a questionnaire about your child’s general health. This helps our team prepare and make sure your child receives the right care when they are admitted.
Based on NSW Health policy, operations are prioritised according to urgency in three categories: to be done within 30 days; 90 days; or 360 days. The doctor will explain which category your child's operation is in.
We’ll send you a letter to confirm your child's position on the waiting list. If you are concerned about the timeline, or if your child's condition changes while waiting for the operation date, please contact the department to arrange a review.
Platypus clinic (Neonatal Surgical Bowel clinic)
Our neonatal surgical bowel clinic provides long-term follow-up care for children who were born with Hirschsprung Disease or Anorectal Malformation. Through the clinic, children will receive ongoing pre-emptive long-term care for these complex bowel conditions.
Your child will be seen by a paediatric surgeon. They may also be seen by other members of our multi-disciplinary team including clinical nurse consultant, or other specialists and clinicians who contribute to the overall care of your child, eg geneticist, dietician, social worker.
We aim to see your child at regular intervals (eg 6 months old, 12 months old, 18 months old, 2 years old, 3 years old, etc), to anticipate and hopefully avoid the common problems that can occur. We also hope to be a source of information and support for you and your child.
- When: The clinic is run Monday afternoon on a monthly basis.
- Where: The clinic is held in the Sydney Children's Hospital Outpatient Department, level 0, High St, Randwick.
- Contact: (02) 9382 1627 | schn-schsurgicalbowelclinic@health.nsw.gov.au
Your child's surgery
Before your child’s operation
We’ll send you information on what time to come to the hospital and fasting instructions (anyone having an operation needs an empty stomach to make the anaesthetic as safe as possible).
If you have not received these instructions, please phone 9382 1447 before 3pm on the day before the operation.
When you arrive for surgery
You will meet the administration staff who will sort out the paperwork. You will then be seen by a nurse, a doctor from your treating team and a doctor from the anaesthetic team.
We’ll put identification bands on your child’s wrist or ankle. We might draw an arrow on their skin to ensure the correct side is operated on. You and your child will have a chance to ask any questions you have. Write them down before you come so you don’t forget any!
After that, we’ll take you to the theatres and all the paperwork will be rechecked in the holding bay. There will be more people helping to look after your child and you usually have to wait a bit longer.
The anaesthetist will tell you if it is appropriate for you to come to the theatre with the child or whether you will say goodbye in the waiting area.
Then we’ll tell you where the waiting room is and what to expect when your child wakes up from their procedure. Please keep your mobile phone switched on while your child is away from you.
