ABSTRACT
The field of pediatric surgery was forged on ingenuity, technical creativity, and careful clinical observation.During the earlypart of the century,Drs. Ladd,Gross, andothers pioneered thefield by characterizing the pathophysiology and early operative management of pediatric surgical diseases. Subsequent advances in surgical care hinged largely upon anecdotal experience and careful documentation of outcomes on a case-by-case basis. Over the next several decades, our understanding of these diseases improved and operative principles were further refined. From these early observational efforts, the field of pediatric surgery was born and subsequently evolved into a distinct surgical specialty.
