About Us
Approximately 50% of the inpatients at Children's come to us as emergencies. That's because the region's other medical centers and hospitals rely on us to take their toughest pediatric cases.
Dr. John Waldhausen
Under the leadership of Dr. John Waldhausen, the General Surgery team has the breadth and depth of knowledge to manage any condition — along with all of the unexpected issues that might arise during treatment. Our surgeons and all other clinical staff are trained to think about each child's unique condition and how best to keep that child safe during surgery.
We provide comprehensive care in general surgery and for all conditions of the chest, abdomen and pelvis by combining the latest research, the most advanced diagnostic and surgical techniques and state-of-the-art equipment.
The General Surgery team takes a "team-based" approach for every child. We consult on each case and partner with all needed Children's specialists. This is often called "multi-disciplinary" care.
If your child really needs surgery, are you sure the surgeon is experienced enough to be able to handle any contingency? Even straightforward operations can turn out to have variances that only an experienced team of pediatric surgeons can handle. That's why you should come to Children's.
~ Dr. John Waldhausen, chief, General and Thoracic Surgery
Each child benefits from the experience and skills of many specialists throughout the hospital, from evaluation and diagnosis through follow-up. No other pediatric institution in our region can match the thorough care that our patients receive at Children's.
We see patients for clinic appointments in Seattle and Bellevue; all surgeries are done at Children's Seattle campus.
The Division of General and Thoracic Surgery is part of the Department of Surgery at both Children's and the University of Washington. Because we are an "academic medical center" affiliated with the university, our doctors and nurses teach the next-generation of clinicians. In turn, the best and brightest students constantly stimulate us to think about new ways of understanding and treating disease.
More About Us
The General Surgery team handled our daughter's very rare condition with concern for both her future and for her feelings. Their sensitivity (not to mention skill) still means a great deal to us.
~ Karen and Gregg Gerstenberger, parents, Poulsbo, Wash.
- General Surgery Team
Learn more about our outstanding team, which is one of the most experienced pediatric general surgery teams in the nation. We perform twice the number of general and thoracic surgeries on infants, children and teens than any other institution in the region does. - Stories
Browse stories about advanced care in Children's Division of General and Thoracic Surgery.