The pediatric surgery program at Inova L.J. Murphy Children's Hospital is a regional
leader in innovation and outcomes, with expertise in all types of surgical
procedures for children.
Pediatric surgery is available at Inova L.J. Murphy Children's Hospital and Inova McLean Surgery Center.
Preparing Your Child for Surgery (English) 
Reasons to choose Inova Children's
- Inova L.J. Murphy Children's Hospital is a Level 1 Verified Children's Surgery Center by the American College of Surgeons Children's Surgery Verification Quality Improvement Program (ACS SCV). This means that Inova Children's maintains the highest safety and quality standards shared by the best children's hospitals in the United States.
- Our pediatric surgeons and pediatric anesthesiologists are fellowship trained and dedicate their practice exclusively to infants, children and young adults. Our nurses have specialty training in pediatrics and are at the forefront of pediatric medicine.
- Our Certified Child Life specialists at Inova are trained to support families throughout surgery and hospital stays. Our Child Life specialists are ready to assist at Inova L.J. Murphy Children's Hospital and Inova Loudoun Hospital. Tailoring their approach to your child's uniqueness, they focus on your family, culture and developmental stage.
A team totally dedicated to your child's care and recovery
Each physician and clinician associated with our pediatric surgery program has one goal: to provide your child the highest level of surgical care and to make his or her hospital experience as comfortable as possible before, during and after surgery.
At Inova Children's the surgeons utilize the latest minimally invasive surgical techniques to minimize downtime and ensure a rapid and successful recovery after surgery.
Our surgeons live and work exclusively in Northern Virginia and have been an integral part of pediatric medical care in the area for more than 50 years.
Medical Director
Dr. Stephen Kim
Dr. Stephen Kim is a specialty care physician board certified in pediatric surgery and surgery. He joined Inova Health System in 2022 and has been practicing since 1994.
Prior to becoming the system chief of pediatric surgery for Inova, Dr. Kim was the medical director of pediatric surgery for a private practice, medical director of children's surgical services and was also the chief of pediatric surgery at Inova Fairfax Medical Campus and Inova Children’s Hospital.
General Surgery and Thoracic Team Members
Our national recognition means excellence in care for your child
Inova L.J. Murphy Children's Hospital performs more than 4,000 pediatric surgical procedures each year. Our state-of-the-art
pediatric surgery center offers inpatient and outpatient surgical services for
children, adolescents and their families.
Preparing Your Child for Surgery
Please visit our Preparing for Surgery page for parents and children.
NPO guidelines
Solids
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No solid food after 11 p.m. the night before the procedure. |
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Clear Liquids or Ice Chips
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Your child may have "clear" liquids or ice chips up to 2 hours prior to the specified arrival time.
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Examples of clear liquids include water, apple juice, Pedialyte and sports drinks such as Gatorade. |
Breast Milk
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Feeding must end 4 hours prior to the scheduled procedure time. |
Do not add cereal or thickeners. |
Infant Formula
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Feeding must end 6 hours prior to the scheduled procedure time. |
Do not add cereal or thickeners. |
Nonhuman Milk
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Feeding must end 6 hours prior to the scheduled procedure time. |
Do not add cereal or thickeners. |