Pediatric Surgery Clinic

Jump to information for:

Children, youth and families Healthcare providers

About the Pediatric Surgery Clinic

The Pediatric Surgery Clinic provides consultation and selected follow up of congenital (present since birth) and acquired surgical conditions in children under the age of 18. The clinic specializes in anatomic pathologies of the neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis, and groin.

About our team

Our team is made up of five pediatric surgeons, one registered nurse and two administrative assistants. We also play a significant role in educating future medical professionals and are frequently mentoring medical students, residents and fellows during clinic encounters.

Information for children, youth and families

What to expect

Before your appointment

Please sign up for a MyChart account before your first visit.

Our scheduling team will call you to schedule an appointment.

Missed Appointments & Late Cancellations
CHEO is committed to providing timely care for children, youth, and families. If this is your first appointment in a clinic or department and you miss two appointments without giving at least 48 hours’ notice, your referral will be returned to the care provider who submitted it. They can then follow up with you to confirm whether you still need or wish to proceed with the referral.

We understand life happens and unforeseen events come up. Please notify us as early as possible by calling 613-737-7600 x2222 — ideally at least 48 hours in advance — if you need to cancel or reschedule. This helps us offer the appointment to another family and keep wait times as short as possible. A cancellation 48 hours or more in advance will not count as a missed appointment.

During your appointment

We will ask about your child’s medical history, including any existing medications, allergies, previous surgeries or hospitalizations. Please bring any supportive medical records to help verify this information. Please also bring your child’s medications (including inhalers) to the appointment. We will ask about the recent observations leading to the referral. The surgeon will then examine your child and make an assessment about the need for surgical intervention. No surgeries will be performed on the date of the consultation. If surgery is deemed necessary for your child, the surgeon will give a detailed explanation of the recommended procedure and its associated risks and benefits. Your consent will be needed for any further surgical planning.

After your appointment

If a surgery was recommended for your child, you will be contacted by the administrative team about procedure scheduling.

Frequently asked questions

How can I make an appointment?

All patients must be referred by a Physician or Nurse Practitioner. After a referral is received, we will notify the referring Physician or Nurse Practitioner whether the referral has been accepted or denied. If accepted, we will provide an estimated wait time. This wait time can vary based on demand and urgency. Once we have an appointment spot to offer, our Scheduling Team will call you to schedule an appointment.

Who should I contact if I am worried or have questions?

For any emergency, call 911. This includes emergencies involving your child’s Pediatric Surgery-related concerns.
For patients who are being followed by the Pediatric Surgery Clinic: For patients who have seen a CHEO Pediatric Surgery Provider, call your Nurse Case Manager or send a direct message to them through MyChart. This is not for urgent calls. Our nurses are here to give support, education and will work to coordinate your child’s care. It may take 3-5 days for us to get back to you (and sometimes longer during holidays). We will return the most serious calls first. Please avoid leaving multiple messages for the same issue.
For patients who are waiting for their first visit with the Pediatric Plastic Surgery Clinic: Please do not call the nurses’ line if you have not yet been seen by a CHEO Pediatric Surgery Provider. Please call your family doctor, pediatrician or visit your nearest walk-in clinic for everything else.

Will my child have surgery on the date of my clinic appointment?

No. The clinic visit serves as an assessment of your child by the surgeon. The surgeon will then determine the need for surgery. If surgery is recommended, the surgeon will explain the surgical procedure so that you can make an informed decision about proceeding. Surgery will be scheduled later, and timing is determined by the medical urgency of the procedure.

Can a relative or friend accompany my child to the appointment in case a parent or legal guardian cannot be present?

No. It is best for a parent or legal guardian to accompany the child to a clinic appointment because only a parent or guardian can provide consent for surgery.

Sign up for MyChart to access your CHEO health record anywhere, any time.
MyChart is a secure, online patient portal that connects you to parts of your CHEO electronic health record and allows you to send two-way secure communication to your care team, complete any questionnaires your care team sends and much more.
To learn more about MyChart and sign up, visit our MyChart page and fill out the MyChart Access Request Form.

Information for healthcare providers

Make a referral

Our clinic is now accepting e-referrals with Ocean!
If you’re already on Ocean, look us up via your account by searching "CHEO".
If you don’t yet have an Ocean account, no problem - signing up is free.
Make a referral in Ocean

Referral criteria and eligibility

You can make an e-referral using Ocean, or send a referral by mail or fax to our address below.

Contact us

Mail or fax your referral form to:

Pediatric Surgery Clinic (C-6)
CHEO
401 Smyth Road
Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1

Fax: 613-738-4245