Paediatric surgeon in Latviawhen to go immediately, where children are operated on, what it costs

A paediatric surgeon advises on and treats a range of surgical conditions and injuries in children.

• Hernias: umbilical, inguinal and linea alba
• Hydrocele and funiculocele
• Cryptorchidism, meaning an undescended testicle
• Phimosis, meaning a tight foreskin in boys
• Varicocele
• Skin and subcutaneous lesions: haemangiomas, sebaceous cysts, lipomas, dermoid cysts, pyogenic granulomas
• Ingrown toenails
• Acute abdominal pain, soft tissue infections and injuries

Veselības centrs 4 states that periodic consultations with a paediatric surgeon are advisable for monitoring a child's development, and that inguinal hernia, acute abdominal pain and injuries require immediate attention.

Several providers single out these situations:

• Inguinal hernia.
• Acute abdominal pain.
• Injuries.
• One-sided or two-sided scrotal swelling, and pain in the scrotum.
• Sudden attacks of nausea and vomiting.

In other cases, such as umbilical hernia, phimosis or skin lesions, the consultation is usually planned rather than urgent.

• Six years of medical study and a doctor's degree, at RSU or the University of Latvia.
• Residency in paediatric surgery. RSU states that the programme prepares the doctor for certification in paediatric surgery and that theory is based on seminars, three a month or 33 a year, plus problem lectures. Programme page: RSU residency programme.
• The programme covers the aetiology and pathogenesis of paediatric surgical disease, diagnosis, treatment and prevention, and the prenatal and postnatal diagnosis of congenital surgical conditions.
• Specialists at the Paediatric Surgery Clinic train at leading paediatric surgery clinics in Europe and the United States.
• The certificate is valid for 5 years. Recertification requires 250 continuing education points plus a 48.38 EUR fee.
• Entry in the practitioners register must be renewed every 5 years.

• State funding. Some private clinics also operate on children under the state programme, so it is worth asking.
• Minimally invasive methods. Laparoscopy and thoracoscopy shorten recovery and hospital stay.
• Regional access. Planned children's surgery is also performed in Rēzekne and other regional hospitals.
• Follow-up. Ask whether check-ups can be done closer to home.
• Experience with the specific operation. Ask how often the surgeon performs the exact procedure your child needs.

• Daugavpils Children's Health Centre states that you should bring all discharge summaries, from both hospital stays and outpatient investigations, so the doctor knows as much as possible about the child.
• The consultation involves examining the child, reviewing test results and talking with the parents.
• If surgery is planned, the procedure, the anaesthesia and the recovery period are discussed.
• Children cope better when what will happen is explained beforehand in simple language.
• After surgery the staff give instructions for further care, and recovery time depends on the type of operation and the child's condition.

Children under 18 are exempt from patient co-payments, so a state-funded paediatric surgery consultation and operation cost the family nothing. Private prices are set by the provider.

• Patient co-payment for a child under 18Price EUR: 0.00Source: NVD
• State-funded consultation and surgery for a childPrice EUR: 0.00Source: NVD, exemption for children under 18
• Surgery under the state funding programme at a private clinicPrice EUR: 0.00Source: Klīnika LUC
• Private paediatric surgery consultation and operationPrice EUR: per clinic price listSource: private clinics

The specialty body is the association "Latvijas Bērnu ķirurgu asociācija" (Latvian Association of Paediatric Surgeons), registration number 40008174723, president Zane Ābola, with Ilona Bērziņa also listed as a contact.

Certificates are issued by the Certification Council of the Latvian Medical Association. The sector regulator is the Health Inspectorate.

If you have doubts about the care a child received, raise them first with the provider's management. If that does not resolve it, the child's legal representative may submit a written complaint to the Health Inspectorate no later than two years after the alleged infringement. It is reviewed within 30 days, extendable to four months in complex cases. The procedure is set out on the Health Inspectorate site.