Pediatrics at UPMC Salvator Mundi International Hospital

UPMC Salvator Mundi International Hospital (SMIH) offers a pediatric service for the diagnosis, study, and treatment, including surgical treatment, of pediatric diseases. Children need specialized assistance from professionals who also have a specific training in this area. At our hospital, we use every precaution necessary to ensure that visits, hospitalization, and the therapeutic process as a whole are not traumatic for young patients.

Ophthalmology and Urological Pediatric Services

Pediatric eye and urological pathologies can occur during early childhood or later. Some of these conditions are due to congenital malformations, i.e. present from birth, or they occur later. Through periodic visits, it is possible to identify them early in order to proceed with the best treatment.

Vision defects, for example, must be corrected in the first years of life, since at this stage the visual system is still evolving. A correct and timely diagnosis can therefore ensure a complete resolution of the pathology.

Urological diseases must also be identified and treated in appropriate times to avoid repercussions on the functionality of the urogenital system and the risk of affecting fertility.

Pathologies Treated

UPMC Salvator Mundi International Hospital can treat pediatric ophthalmological and urogenital diseases.

Among the pathologies of the visual apparatus that appear in pediatric age include:

• Amblyopia: Condition, usually reversible, in which the visual function of one eye is reduced or absent.
• Strabismus: Condition present from birth, in which the visual axes of the two eyes are not aligned.
• Congenital ptosis: It affects the levator muscle of the upper eyelid. Its lack of development during embryonic life prevents the normal opening of the eye.
• Retinoblastoma: Malignant ocular tumor that affects the retina and is caused by a genetic mutation.

The main pediatric urogenital pathologies are:

• Hypospadias: One of the most common congenital anomalies of the penis. In patients who suffer from it, the outlet of the urethra is not localized at the apex of the glans, but is located on the ventral face of the penis or, in severe cases, in the scrotum or perineum. This makes erect urination impossible and, in adults, leads to a painful erection. This requires surgical treatment.
• Cryptorchidism: This occurs when the descent of one or both testicles is either incomplete or missing. The surgery, which involves a small incision in the groin, is quick, allowing the patient to be discharged a few hours later.
• Inguinal hernia: One of the most common surgical pathologies of childhood. It is found in 3-4% of the child population and more frequently in boys. It is a congenital condition, which is highlighted in childhood as a result of daily efforts or activities.
• Phimosis: This a condition characterized by the impossibility of sliding the foreskin on the glans. In newborns and infants it is so frequent as to be considered physiological and tends to resolve spontaneously with growth. The treatment is surgical and can be performed with different approaches via day surgery.
• The hydrocele and cyst of the funicle: Extroflexion of the peritoneum that covers the inside of the abdominal cavity. In the male, it accompanies the testicle in its descent towards the scrotum, while in the female, it accompanies the round ligament of the uterus towards the labia majora. This structure disappears naturally during the first months of life, otherwise it is necessary to intervene surgically.

Pediatric Services We Provide

At UPMC, specialists assist young patients throughout the diagnostic and therapeutic process, as well as in the post-operative phases.

The advanced ophthalmology team offers pathways with newborn screening and pediatric eye examinations, which allows for the monitoring of the state of health and the correct development of the child's visual apparatus.

The specialists of urology and pediatric surgery deal with the resolution of urological pathologies through interventions usually in Day Hospital, with the collaboration of pediatric anesthesiologists.

Who Are Our Pediatrics Services For?

Other Pediatrics Services

At UPMC Salvator Mundi International Hospital, it is also possible to treat pediatric pathologies of a nature:

• Dermatological
• Orthopedic
• ENT

Pediatrics at UPMC

Learn more about pediatrics at UPMC.