My name is Jeffrey Gander, and I'm a Pediatric Surgeon at the University of Virginia Children's Hospital. As a pediatric surgeon, I perform surgeries in the abdomen and the chest area. This can be things like appendicitis, inguinal hernias, or tumors and congenital diseases. When I perform procedures on children, I always try to perform them in the most minimally invasive way possible. This might be through laparoscopy through the abdomen, or thoracoscopy through the chest. I believe this helps them to recover quickly, to minimize their pain and get them back to school and play as quickly as possible.

Children and their parents can expect to meet myself and our nursing staff before the surgery so that we can explain to them what will be happening the day that they will be undergoing their procedure. We'll also teach them how to take care of their child after the operation. At the University of Virginia, we work very well together as a team with the nursing staff and other medical specialties, so that you know your child will get the best team approach to their care being a parent myself, I find it humbling in parents entrusting me with the health and safety of their child during surgery. One of my main goals as a pediatric surgeon is to bring a sense of calm for the parents that might be undergoing one of the scariest moments of their, and their child's life.