CHOC wants its patients and families to get to know its specialists. Today, meet Dr. Saeed Awan, a pediatric general and thoracic surgeon. Dr. Awan attended medical school at Khyber Medical College, in Pakistan, and completed a surgery residency at Memorial University of Newfoundland & Labrador in Canada. He also completed two surgery fellowships, one at Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Edinburgh, in United Kingdom, and another at Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Canada. He has been on staff at CHOC for four and a half years.
What are your special clinical interests?
All aspects of pediatric and neonatal surgery, especially minimal invasive surgery. I also have expertise in liver and bile duct surgery and special interest in gastroschisis sutureless closure.
What are your most common diagnoses?
Inguinal and umbilical hernias, hydroceles, undescended testes, appendicitis, lumps and bumps, as well as complex congenital pediatric and neonatal conditions.
Are there any new programs or developments within your specialty (at CHOC or in the broader field)?
In the broader field, there has been remarkable advancement in minimally invasive surgical procedures with similar or better results than open surgical procedures.
What would you most like community/referring providers to know about you/your division at CHOC?
We are a group of dedicated and highly trained pediatric surgeons who strive to provide excellent care to our patients. We make sure both parents and the patients are involved in the decision making. Being a father of four children, I treat my patients as I would like to have my own children treated.
In addition to our common surgical conditions, I treat complex neonatal and gastrointestinal conditions.
What inspires you most about the care being delivered here at CHOC?
I’m inspired by our CHOC physicians, our excellent nursing and support staff, our wide range of subspecialists, as well as our state-of-the-art facility.
In our specialty, we meet a lot of children and the smiles on their and their parents’ faces after they have recovered from surgery, makes me very happy.
Why did you decide to become a pediatric surgeon?
I decided to become a pediatric surgeon when I was a third-year medical student. Pediatric general surgery is a field where you are able to take care of sick kids with a wide variety of surgical diseases. Although pediatric surgery is very challenging, it is very rewarding.
If you weren’t a physician, what would you be and why?
I might have been a pilot as I like travel.
What are your hobbies/interests outside of work?
Travel, soccer and spending time with my children.
