When your child needs medical treatment, you want him or her to have the very best care available. So it stands to reason that if your child needs an operation, you’ll want to consult with a surgeon who is qualified and experienced in operating on children — an individual who specializes in pediatric surgery.

Pediatric surgeons operate on children whose development ranges from the newborn stage through the teenage years.  In addition to completing training and achieving board certification, pediatric surgeons complete two additional years of training exclusively in children’s surgery.  They then receive special certification in the sub-specialty pediatric surgery.  They provide the best pediatric surgical care for your child with the most advanced surgical techniques and the personalized attention in a warm office environment.  They understand that the experience of having your child to undergo important surgical procedure can be most stressful for your family.  It is our primary goal to deliver outstanding surgical practice with reassurance and confidence to minimize your concerns.

In addition to general pediatric surgery procedures such as appendectomies, excisions, and hernia surgeries, the following is a sampling of some of the specialized pediatric surgical procedures performed at K and B Surgical Center:

Ear Reconstruction (Microtia)

Microtia is a congenital condition in which the ear does not develop properly. The word microtia means “small ear.” Microtia occurs about once in every 6,000 to 12,000 births, with a higher frequency among Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans, and Andeans.

The cause of microtia is not well understood, particularly the role of environmental and genetic factors. Genetics are thought to be a cause in only 5% of all patients. Multiple theories have been proposed to explain the cause of microtia during fetal development, such as neural crest cells disturbance, vascular disruption, and altitude, but these have not been proven.

It is important to understand that nothing a mother does during pregnancy, such as drinking coffee, alcohol use, or even drug abuse, has been shown to cause microtia. However, when taken in the first trimester of pregnancy, some medications like Thalidomide and Accutane have been linked to the condition.

Microtia usually occurs on only one side (more commonly on the right ear), but approximately 10% of patients have microtia on both sides (Bilateral Microtia).

Microtia is often seen as an isolated condition, but it may also occur with other syndromes including Hemifacial Microsomia, Goldenhar Syndrome, or Treacher Collins Syndrome. Other syndromes with microtia can also affect the kidneys, the heart, the eyes, the craniofacial bones, and the skeletal system. Children with these abnormalities are often cared for by a Craniofacial Team.

Microtia occurs in many different variations, ranging from just a small ear to complete absence of the ear, called anotia meaning “no ear.” In some cases, the ear canal is very small (aural stenosis) or absent (aural atresia). All types of ear surgery for microtia are technically difficult to perform. Most plastic surgeons would agree that ear reconstruction is one of the most challenging operations performed — requiring a combination of technical skill and artistry. The reason for this difficulty is related to the very complex shape that must be created for the ear in order for it to look natural.  Our expert in ear reconstruction surgery for Microtia is Dr. Sheryl Lewin.

Nuss Procedure for Pectus Deformity

Congenital chest wall deformities are more common than one may think. It occurs in approximately 1 in every 300 children. The etiology of chest wall deformities is mostly unknown. There is a strong family history seen in many patients, as high as 40%. We always consider potential underlying genetic disorders such as Marfan syndrome. Additional specialist consultations may be important from cardiology, medical genetics, and pulmonology.

The most common pectus deformity is pectus excavatum or commonly known as “sunken chest” or “funnel chest”. The degree of severity varies from patient to patient. In most cases, the deformity is noticed at birth or very young age. The severity can be seen to worsen over the growth of the child, particularly during growth spurt period as an adolescent. The depression of the anterior chest wall involves the sternum (breast bone) and the cartilage portions of the ribs. Most patients do not have obvious symptoms, but many have exercise intolerance, easy fatigue, and chest pains. There is commonly loss of lung capacity and shift of the cardiac position due to the compression of the organs from the chest wall.

Under the direction of Dr. Steve Chen, the Nuss Procedure is the primary surgical solution for pectus excavatum. It is a minimally invasive technique for correction of pectus excavatum by implantation of a pectus bar with thoracoscopic (small telescope in the chest) visualization. The operation utilizes minimal incisions at the sides of the chest and does not require cutting or removal of sternum and ribs. The Nuss Procedure is now over 20 years in practice and provides excellent long-term outcome with safety and effectiveness.

Meet our Pediatric Surgery Team

Steve P. Chen, M.D., F.A.C.S., P.A.A.P.

Dr. Chen is also the Medical Director of the Beverly Hills Pediatric Surgery and the Pectus Surgical Institute.  He holds an academic appointment as an Associate Clinical Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles.  Prior to establishing his private practice, he served as the Director of the Division of Pediatric Surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center until 2010.  Recognized for his contribution to pediatric surgical care at Cedars-Sinai, he was honored as the inaugural holder of the Walter and Shirley Wang Endowed Chair in Pediatric Surgery in 2003.  Dr. Chen is a passionate surgical educator who is actively engaged in the teaching of medical students and surgical and pediatric residents.  In 2009 he was honored with the Golden Apple Teaching award at Cedars-Sinai.  Dr. Chen has dedicated much of his expertise to the area of minimally invasive surgery for children and is recognized throughout the greater Los Angeles medical community for his laparoscopic and thoracoscopic surgical skills.

Dr. Chen received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Biophysics/Medical Physics from the University of California, Berkeley and his Doctor of Medicine degree from the Keck School of Medicine at University of Southern California.  He completed three surgical residencies including General Surgery, Surgical Critical Care, and Pediatric Surgery.  He has received board certifications in all three areas by the American Board of Surgery.  Dr. Chen has lived in the Los Angeles area for more than 21 years. He has a lovely wife and two young sons who are the center of his life.