Pediatric Surgical Procedures

High-Volume Procedures

Tonsillectomy is the most common pediatric surgical procedure, with over 530,000 procedures performed annually in children under 15 years, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 1, 2
The American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery recommends tonsillectomy for recurrent throat infections and obstructive sleep-disordered breathing, with sleep-disordered breathing becoming the predominant indication since the 1980s 1, 2
Tonsillectomy/Adenotonsillectomy is the second most common ambulatory surgical procedure in children, with 289,000-530,000 procedures annually in children under 15 years, as reported by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 1, 3, 4

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all patients 5 years or younger requiring surgical care should be managed by a pediatric surgeon 5, 6, 7, 8
Children with medical conditions increasing operative risk, such as congenital heart disease or prematurity, undergoing common procedures like hernia repair should be cared for by pediatric surgeons, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics 5, 6, 7, 8
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that minimally invasive procedures, such as laparoscopy or thoracoscopy, in infants and children should be performed by pediatric surgeons trained in these techniques 5, 6, 7, 8