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The number of children who come to New York Methodist Hospital (NYM) for general surgery has increased by almost 50 percent in the last two years, with the Hospital now logging almost 500 cases annually.

New York Methodist Hospital attending pediatric surgeons Shaun Steigman, M.D., (left) and Demetri Merianos, M.D.

There are many good reasons for the statistical leap, and two of them are Demetri Merianos, M.D, and Shaun Steigman, M.D., attending pediatric surgeons with the Hospital's Department of Surgery. Dr. Merianos and Dr. Steigman, who joined NYM in 2013, also serve on the faculty of NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, and perform minimally invasive, inpatient and ambulatory procedures for a wide range of conditions impacting children.

"Whether it's a relatively simple case-such as an appendectomy-or a much more extensive procedure-such as a laparoscopic total proctocolectomy for a child with ulcerative colitis (a severe form of inflammatory bowel disease)-our goal is always the same: to help children overcome a 'bump in the road' to a full and happy life, and leave barely a scar behind. It's incredibly rewarding," said Dr. Merianos.

As is the case with most pediatric conditions or illnesses severe enough to ultimately warrant surgery, a procedure performed by Dr. Merianos or Dr. Steigman often comes through physician referral. It's for this reason that their addition to NYM has been most appreciated by doctors involved in pediatric care in other areas of New York Methodist, including the Department of Pediatrics and the Department of Emergency Medicine.

"Our doctors-and more importantly, our patients-benefit enormously from being able to keep the entirety of a child's care, from cutting edge diagnostic modalities to cutting edge surgical procedures, under one roof," said Pramod Narula, M.D., chairman of pediatrics at the Hospital.

On the continued expansion of the pediatric surgery team, Anthony Tortolani, M.D., chairman of surgery and cardiothoracic surgery at New York Methodist, noted: "More patients are coming to us because this Hospital has established an outstanding track record across the full spectrum of pediatric surgical procedures. Like its patients, NYM's pediatric surgery team is growing, and we look forward to what comes next."