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 will want to consult with a surgeon who is qualified and experienced in operating on children.

Surgeons who specialize in general surgery often provide surgical care for children, and they are fully qualified to perform many operations on children.

In more urbanized areas of the country, another kind of surgeon—the pediatric surgeon—is also available to provide comprehensive surgical care for children.

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 subspecialty of pediatric surgery.