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General & Thoracic Surgery
The Division of General and Thoracic Surgery takes care of children with a wide variety of congenital anomalies and acquired diseases of the abdomen, chest, head and neck, endocrine organs as well as the assessment and management of children with multiple injuries and children requiring liver and small bowel transplants. Our multidisciplinary team consists of general surgeons, fellows, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, registered nurses, physician assistants, enterostomal therapists, a dietitian, and administrative staff. See our key staff section for more information.
Two locations
We have in-patient and out-patient activities at two sites in Toronto, The Hospital for Sick Children and Humber River Regional Hospital, Wilson site. In addition to patient care, members of the Division are involved in research and teaching, and are recognized as experts in fetal and neonatal surgery, paediatric gastrointestinal conditions, paediatric cancer, organ transplantation, developmental biology, immunology, short bowel syndrome, ethics, international surgery and the management of trauma in children.
Training program
Our Division has an extensive training program which includes:
- Paediatric General Surgery Fellows who are fully trained general surgeons and are completing two-year training program in paediatric general surgery.
- Neonatal ICU Surgery Fellows who are fellows with various levels of training from senior general surgery residents to fully trained paediatric general surgeons and are completing a one-year training program in neonatal ICU care.
- Paediatric Trauma Fellows who are fellows with various levels of training from senior general surgery residents to fully trained paediatric general surgeons and are completing a one-year training program in paediatric trauma care.
- Paediatric Surgical Oncology Fellows who are fully trained paediatric general surgeons and are completing a one-year training program in surgical oncology.
- General Surgery Residents (PGY-1) who complete a two-month rotation.
- Paediatric Residents (PGY-1) who complete a one-month rotation.
- Paediatric Gynecology Fellows who are fully trained Obstetrician/gynecologists and complete a six-week rotation.
What we do
SickKids has approximately 350 paediatric beds with more than 15,000 operations performed each year. The Division of General and Thoracic Surgery primarily cares for children with abdominal and thoracic problems, although a significant number of children with anomalies, neoplasms or acquired lesions of the head and neck, and extremities and genitourinary tract are also seen.
Below are some of the programs and services we offer through the Division of General and Thoracic Surgery.
Programs and services
Expand each section below to read important details.
The Airway Reconstruction Team (ART) is a multi-disciplinary team with a special clinical interest in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with congenital tracheal stenosis (CTS).
The purpose of this clinic is to provide a specialized environment for the follow-up and ongoing management of CDH and Esophageal Atresia/Tracheoesophageal Fistula patients post-discharge. The team consists of a paediatric general surgeon, respirologist, gastroenterologist, nurse practitioner, dietitian, occupational therapist, cardiologist, otolaryngologist and nurses.
The Division of General and Thoracic Surgery participates in the combined Fetal Anomaly Clinic at Mount Sinai Hospital. In this monthly clinic, mothers carrying fetuses with a congenital anomaly are seen and assessed.
The General Surgery Clinic is a specialized service for the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with a wide range of congenital anomalies and acquired diseases of the abdomen, chest, head and neck, and endocrine organs. We also care for children with multiple injuries and those requiring liver and small bowel transplants.
The MAGIC (Multidisciplinary Anorectal Genitourinary Improvement of Continence) program, established in 2024, provides specialized care for the treatment of children and adolescents with congenital and acquired diseases of the pelvis suffering from urinary and fecal functional problems. It is mainly focused on the surgical treatment, follow-up and ongoing management of children with Anorectal Malformation/Imperforate Anus, Hirschsprung's disease, Cloacal Anomalies, Bladder Exstrophy, Epispadias, Spina Bifida and Severe Functional Constipation.
Our team currently includes paediatric General Surgery, Urology, Gastroenterology, Gynecology, Nurse Practitioner, nurses, and social work.
The Surgical Oncology Clinic is a specialized service for the assessment and treatment of:
- Children and adolescents with masses of the neck, chest or abdomen which may be related to cancer
- New patients with an established diagnosis of cancer, including those involving the liver, kidneys, adrenal glands, lungs, mediastinum, skin, lymph nodes and other soft tissues
- Patients with an established diagnosis of cancer who require short-term follow-up for their surgical procedure and/or may need long-term surveillance
Staff from other divisions, such as Haematology/Oncology and Dermatology, attend the clinic as required.
Our multidisciplinary Trauma Clinic is dedicated to providing care for patients who have experienced traumatic injuries and who were initially treated at SickKids or cared for elsewhere.
Our team provides specialized services for the assessment, treatment, and on-going care of a wide range of injuries and consequence of injuries including physical disability, pain, mental health issues and care coordination. Patients with isolated injuries (bone or neurological), may be redirected to the specific subspecialty clinics. The clinic is held monthly with both in-person and virtual appointments available.
The team is composed of multiple disciplines, including Dermatology, Paediatric Medicine, Haematology/Oncology, Interventional Radiology, Diagnostic Radiology, Plastic Surgery, Cardiology, Neurology, General Surgery, Pathology and the Angiogenesis Lab.
The GIFT program at SickKids began in November 2002 and remains the only formal intestinal rehabilitation program in Canada. The introduction of GIFT has almost eliminated mortality from intestinal failure associated liver disease since 2007.
Important clinic instructions
Contact us
If you are calling to confirm or have a question about your clinic appointment, please call the clinic information clerk at 416-813-7272 or email us at generalsurgery.clinic@sickkids.ca. If you are a new patient calling about the status of your referral, please call our information coordinator at 416-813-2158.
To ensure your next appointment runs smoothly, please read each section below.
- You must show valid health-care coverage at every visit. If you do not, you will be required to pay a fee for the visit, unless coverage or insurance can be verified.
- Proof of health-care coverage must be valid at the time of visit (not expired).
- If you live in Ontario, show your child’s valid Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) card.
- If you live in another province, show your child’s provincial health-care card.
- If you are a refugee claimant, show your child’s Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) certificate.
- If you have private health insurance, show the appropriate information or documentation.
- If you are receiving support from a Community Health Centre (CHC), show a letter from the CHC.
- Your appointment card or letter
- Toys, books, nut-free snacks, diapers and formula to keep your child comfortable and occupied in case there is a wait
- Any medical information, such as referral letters, test results, information about current therapies, X-rays, MRIs, ultrasounds or CT scans
- All medications your child is currently taking (in original packaging), including alternative and complementary treatments
- If you are separated or divorced, bring along any legal papers that show who has custody of your child and who can make decisions about your child’s care. For more information, see protocol for separated families: roles, expectations and documentation required with respect to custody and access.
- Copies of reports and imaging (CDs) pertinent to your appointment
Your child may be requested to go for testing prior to the consultation, such as an ultrasound or GI study. If so, the clinic information clerk will provide you with details on fasting instructions and where to go for registration.
Your appointment is for a consultation with a general surgeon. You will be assessed first by the clinic nurse, and then members of the General Surgery team, which may include residents, medical students, fellows and a nurse practitioner, working in collaboration with the staff surgeon.
If this is a new consultation, you may be booked for surgery on a future date or you may be requested to return for follow-up testing or monitoring.
If it is determined that your child will require surgery, you will be contacted by the surgeon’s administrative assistant to arrange a surgical date.
If your child requires a follow-up appointment, you will be instructed to see the information clerk prior to leaving the clinic.
Key staff
The Division of General & Thoracic Surgery team consists of our Staff Surgeons, Fellows, Residents, Nurse Practitioners, Registered Nurses, Physician Assistants, a Dietitian, Social Workers, and our Administrative Staff. Our team operates various multidisciplinary programs and clinics throughout the hospital.
Kasper Wang, MD
Division Head General & Thoracic Surgery, Paediatric Surgeon, Professor of Surgery, University of Toronto, The Robert M. Filler Chair of Paediatric Surgery
Georges Azzie, MD, FRCSC
Program Director, Division of General & Thoracic Surgery, Professor of Surgery, University of Toronto
Priscilla Chiu, MD, PhD, FRCSC, FAAP, FACS
Staff Surgeon, General and Thoracic Surgery, Project investigator, Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Associate Professor of Surgery, University of Toronto
Annie Fecteau, MD, FRCS(C), FACS, FAAP
Staff Surgeon, General and Thoracic Surgery
Peri Operative Services Associate Chief for Patient Safety & Quality Improvement
Associate Professor of Surgery, University of Toronto
Jacob C. Langer, MD, FRCSC
Paediatric General Surgeon
Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto
Agostino Pierro, OBE, MD, FRCS (Engl), FRCS (Ed), FAAP
Paediatric General Surgeon, Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto
Mercedes Pilkington, MD, MGSC, FRCSC
Paediatric General Surgeon, Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto
Joshua Ramjist, MD, FRCSC
Paediatric General Surgeon, Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto
Rodrigo Romao, MD, M.Sc., FRCSC
Paediatric General Surgeon
Saurabh Saluja, MD, MPP
Paediatric General Surgeon
Blayne Amir Sayed, MD, PhD
Staff Surgeon
Surgical Lead for Pediatric Liver Transplantation
Associate Scientist Track, Cell Biology Program
Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto
Augusto Zani, MD, PhD, FACS, FAAP
Paediatric Surgeon
Associate Professor of Surgery, University of Toronto
Scientist, Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program
Sheri Jarvis, RN 6D Ward – General & Thoracic Surgery
Ambulatory Care Clinic
Phone: 416-813-7212
Fax: 416-813-7318
Email: generalsurgery.clinicnurses@sickkids.ca
- Dr. Lorenzo Anez-Bustillos (2nd-year Subspecialty Resident)
- Dr. Julia Ferreira (Neonatal Surgical Critical Care Fellow)
- Dr. Sam Han (2nd-year Subspecialty Resident)
- Dr. Adriana Koenig (Neonatal Surgical Critical Care Fellow)
- Dr. Fernanda Takamatsu (General Surgery/GIFT Clinical Fellow)
- Dr. Allen Zhong (1st-year Subspecialty Resident)
Nurse Practitioner-Paediatrics
Phone: 416-813-7654 ext. 202477
Email: monping.chiang@sickkids.ca
Alana Ferguson, RN, BScN, M.Sc., MN
Clinical Nurse Specialist
Email: alana.ferguson@sickkids.ca
Clinical Nurse Specialist
Phone: 416-813-7654 ext. 206729
Email: anna.kazimierczak@sickkids.ca
Irina Pashynskyy, NP-PHC, MScN
Nurse Practitioner-Primary Health Care
Phone: 416-813-7654 ext. 204859
Email: irina.pashynskyy@sickkids.ca
Dina Prajapati RN(EC), BScN, MN, NP-PHC
Nurse Practitioner-Trauma
Phone: 416-813-7654 ext. 204240
Email: dina.prajapati@sickkids.ca
Kerry-Anne Ross, MSc, NP-PHC
Nurse Practitioner-Primary Health Care
416-813-7654 ext. 224804
Email: kerry-anne.ross@sickkids.ca
Jennifer Kang
Nurse Practitioner
Phone: 416-813-7654 ext. 206913
Email: jennifer.kang@sickkids.ca
Maylani Sebastiampillai, RN(EC), BScN, MN, NP-PHC
Nurse Practitioner-Primary Care
Pager: 416-713-4708
Email: maylani.sebastiampillai@sickkids.ca
Hazel Pleasants-Terashita, RN(EC), MN, NNP-BC
Nurse Practitioner-Paediatrics Neonatal Intensive Care
Phone: 416-813-7654 ext. 201054
Email: hazel.pleasants@sickkids.ca
Nicole de Silva, RN, BScN, MSc NP-Paediatrics
Nurse Practitioner-Paediatrics Neonatal Intensive Care
Phone: 416-813-7654 ext. 206736
Email: nicole.desilva@sickkids.ca
Anne Apong – Supervisor, Administrative Services
Surgical Administrative Coordinator to Dr. Kasper Wang
Phone: 416-813-6357
Email: anne.apong@sickkids.ca
Janice Bowers – Patient Coordinator to Dr. Blayne Sayed and The GIFT Program, Surgical Coordinator to Dr. Rodrigo Romao
Phone: 416-813-7654 ext 201490
Email: janice.bowers@sickkids.ca
Shannon Hannah – Education Coordinator, Fellowship, Junior Resident and Medical Student Coordinator, Administrative and Research Coordinator to Dr. Blayne Sayed, Administrative Coordinator to Dr. Georges Azzie, Program Director
Phone: 416-813-6401
Email: shannon.hannah@sickkids.ca
Jennifer Ionson – Surgical Administrative Coordinator to Dr. Priscilla Chiu, Dr. Joshua Ramjist and Dr. Jacob Langer.
Phone: 416-813-6405
Email: jennifer.ionson@sickkids.ca
Tanya Kovaleva – Surgical Administrative Coordinator to Dr. Annie Fecteau and Dr. Mercedes Pilkington
Liver Transplantation Surgical Booking Coordinator for General Surgery
Phone: 416-813-6402
Email: tanya.kovaleva@sickkids.ca
Elizabeth Greczylo – Observership Program Coordinator for General Surgery, Surgical Administrative Coordinator to Dr. Saurabh Saluja
Phone: 416-813-7654 ext: 204310 Email: elizabeth.greczylo@sickkids.ca
Jacquie Whyte – Surgical Administrative Coordinator for Humber River Regional Hospital, Surgical Administrative Coordinator to Dr. Augusto Zani
Phone: 416-813-7654 ext 202413
Email: jacquie.whyte@sickkids.ca
Paul Fellows – Surgical & Research Administrative Coordinator to
Dr. Agostino Pierro
Phone: 416-813-7654 ext 207340
Email: paul.fellows@sickkids.ca
The Paediatric Surgery Training Program at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) is a two-year residency accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. There is a reciprocity agreement between the Royal College and Residency Review Committee and ACGME in the United States, so that at the successful completion of this experience, the trainee will be qualified for examinations in Paediatric General Surgery given by the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada and the American Board of Surgery.
SickKids has approximately 350 paediatric beds, and staff perform over 15,000 operations each year. Primarily, the Division of General Surgery cares for children with abdominal and thoracic problems, although a significant number of children with anomalies, neoplasms or acquired lesions of the head and neck, and extremities and genitourinary tract are also seen. In addition to this exposure, the paediatric surgery trainee receives training in advanced minimal access surgery, liver and small bowel transplantation and trauma.
Mandatory rotations in Neonatology (NICU) and Image-guided Therapy (IGT) are scheduled, and electives in other specialties as International Surgery, Urology, ENT and Clinical Research are available.
During the two-year training program, the trainee is given increasing responsibility on the wards and in the operating room. The trainee is also expected to assume administrative and teaching roles, especially during the second year when the trainee becomes the 2nd year fellow.
Selection process
Currently, we select one person per year for this position through the National Resident Matching Program. All positions start on July 1, and applications must be completed and submitted approximately 19 months prior to the expected starting date. The applicant will be considered for a possible interview once the following has been submitted and are available for review:
- Completed Application
- Letters of Recommendation
- ABSITE or CAGS Exam Scores (please include copies from all years when the exam was taken)
Applicants must have successfully completed a Residency in General Surgery which satisfies the requirements for examination of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada or the American Board of Surgery by the start of the paediatric surgery fellowship. Please contact the National Resident Matching Program for the Paediatric Surgery Specialty Match Applicant Agreement forms.
We also select one person every other year (in odd years) outside the match. This individual is usually a Canadian who has a commitment to work in an under-serviced area in Canada, or an international candidate (i.e. non-Canadian, non-American), whose intention is to return to their home country after their training.
Our program also currently offers clinical rotations to junior and senior general surgery residents who are interested in a broader paediatric general surgical experience.
Expand the sections below to learn about our Residency and Fellowship opportunities in detail.
The Division of General and Thoracic Surgery offers three fellowship programs for General Surgeons:
Paediatric General Surgery
The Paediatric Surgery Training Program at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) is a two-year residency accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. There is a reciprocity agreement between the Royal College and Residency Review Committee and ACGME in the United States, so that at the successful completion of this experience, the trainee will be qualified for examinations in Paediatric General Surgery given by the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada and the American Board of Surgery.
The Division of General Surgery primarily cares for children with abdominal and thoracic problems, although a significant number of children with anomalies, neoplasms or acquired lesions of the head and neck, and extremities and genitourinary tract are also seen. In addition to this exposure, the paediatric surgery trainee receives training in advanced minimal access surgery, liver and small bowel transplantation and trauma.
Currently, we select one person per year for this position through the National Resident Matching Program. All positions start on July 1, and applications must be completed and submitted approximately 19 months prior to the expected starting date.
Read more on Year 1 of the fellowship - Year 1 Goals and Objectives (PDF)
Read more on Year 2 of the fellowship - Year 2 Goals and Objectives (PDF)
Neonatal Surgical Fellowship
The Neonatal Surgical Fellowship is one year in duration. Candidates must have completed their adult General Surgery training, or an equivalent amount of training, in their home country.
The Neonatal Fellow is responsible for managing the surgical patients in the NICU in collaboration with the surgical Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, the General and Thoracic Surgery Residents (Fellows) and the Neonatology Team. This includes rounding on the patients each day, identifying problems and developing a daily plan, performing whatever procedures are required, participating in family and multidisciplinary meetings and acting as a liaison between the surgical staff and the neonatal team.
The NICU Fellow takes on average 1 in 4 call in rotation with the General and Thoracic Surgery residents. During these calls, the fellow will cover the inpatients on the General Surgery service and consults in the emergency department and the wards, and will also serve as the Trauma Team Leader. The Fellow will do any emergency cases that are performed during these calls.
Read more on the NICU Fellowship - Goals and Objectives (PDF)
Trauma Fellowship
The Trauma Fellowship is one year in length. The Trauma Fellow is the Trauma Team Leader during weekdays and when on call for the General and Thoracic Service.
The Trauma Fellow must respond to Code 50 activations within five minutes. They must provide comprehensive TTL care to traumatized patients from trauma room through final disposition and handover to admitting service. In addition the TTL must handle phone calls regarding transfer of traumatized patients and facilitate their transfer to SickKids.
During the Fellowship, the Trauma Fellow will provide Senior Paediatric Surgical Resident coverage an average of five nights per month. They will be responsible for the management of the Paediatric Surgical in-service and consultations to inpatient units and emergency along with supervision of junior Paediatric Surgical Residents while on-call. Operative experience is primarily based on "on-call" exposure.
Read more on the Trauma Fellowship - Goals and Objectives (PDF)
The residency training program in General Surgery at the University of Toronto is the largest and most diverse training program in Canada, and most likely in North America. The vision is simply to provide the best training experience for General Surgery residents in North America.
The training program boasts nearly 70 geographic full-time faculty members spread over seven core and three non-core hospitals. Faculty members represent opinion leaders and experts in essentially every subspecialty area of General Surgery.
The University of Toronto teaching hospitals are fortunate to provide surgical care for a large urban population as well as patients arising from a vast catchment area and referral network. This fact provides outstanding learning opportunities and a breadth of clinical volume that is unsurpassed.
Core training sites
1 - Academic Paediatric
- The Hospital for Sick Children
2 - Community
- St. Joseph Health Care Centre
- Toronto East General Hospital
Non-core training sites
- North York General Hospital
- Humber River Regional Hospital
- The Scarborough Hospital (General Campus)
- Trillium Health Centre
- William Osler Health Centre
Read more information on the General Surgery Residency Training Program at The University of Toronto.
Contact Shannon Hannah at SickKids for inquiries.
Shannon Hannah, Education Coordinator
Division of General Surgery
The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids)
555 University Avenue
Roy Hill Wing, Room 1526
Toronto, ON
M5G 1X8
Canada
Phone: 416-813-6401
Fax: 416-813-7477
Email: shannon.hannah@sickkids.ca
Contact General & Thoracic Surgery
Phone: 416-813-6357
General and Thoracic Surgery Clinic: 416-813-7272
Administrative fax: 416-813-7477
Email: anne.apong@sickkids.ca
General and Thoracic Surgery Clinic email: generalsurgery.clinic@sickkids.ca (Please include your child’s full legal name and Medical Record Number, if you know it, in the subject line)
General and Thoracic Clinic fax: 416-813-7318
General and Thoracic Surgery Clinic referrals (Please note that we no longer accept faxed referrals).
Health Records – Release of Information: 416-813-7575 (Please note that we do not keep health records in the division or clinic office. If you require health record information for a patient, you must request it through Health Records)
Ward 5A: 416-813-6948
Ward 5B: 416-813-6913
Fetal Clinic (All fetal consultation requests must go through the Mount Sinai MFM site): 416-586-4800 ext. 7756
Fetal Centre Referral Form - Fetal Centre Referrals
Aerodigestive Clinic (Previously known as the CDH and EA/TEF clinics): 416-813-7270 Option 1
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU): 416-813-6927
Locating: 416-813-7500
Main desk: 416-813-6849
Our history
The following is a historical account of the Division of General Surgery as written by Dr. Sigmund H. Ein and updated by Dr. J. Ted Gerstle.
It was not until Dr. A.W. Farmer became the sixth Chief of Surgery at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in the 1950s that the Division of General Surgery was created. Prior to that, the paediatric surgeons (Mustard, Wansbrough, Wilkinson and Walker, to name a few) did most paediatric surgical cases with little subspecialization. This surgery was done at the old hospital on College Street. In February 1951, SickKids moved a few blocks south to the new (present) University Avenue building. Dr. Wansbrough performed the first general surgical operation at noon on the day of the move - a pyloromyotomy for pyloric stenosis.
In 1956, Dr. Farmer appointed Dr. Stuart Thomson as the first Division Chief of General Surgery. Dr. Gordon Cameron was the first Chief Resident, and in 1959 Betty Coryllos was the first female Chief Resident in General Surgery at SickKids. There were six staff surgeons (Stephens, Simpson, Trusler, Fallis, Shandling and Burrington) who came and went during Dr. Thomson's 10 years, and an Associate Chief Resident position was added. During these 10 years, 18 trainees received their post graduate training in Paediatric General Surgery. Dr. Thomson continued to head the division until 1967.
In 1967, Dr. Clinton Stephens became the second Division Chief and this started a decade in which the Division moved from national fame to international recognition, because of residents and fellows coming from around the world to complete and enhance their training in paediatric general surgery, and because of the presentation and publication of a rapidly increasing number of significant clinical papers in all aspects of paediatric surgery. It was during this 10-year period, that the training program became officially structured into a two-year fellowship. During Dr. Stephens' decade as Division Chief, there were a total of six staff (Stephens, Simpson, Shandling, Fallis, Burrington and Ein), and 21 trainees received their paediatric surgical training.
Dr. Robert Filler was not only the eighth Chief of Surgery at SickKids, but he was also the third Division Chief from 1977 to 1992. During this time the training program became one of the most popular and sought-after choices in the annual North American Paediatric Surgery Match. Clinical research, presentations and publications continued at a high rate, liver transplantation started, and a multidisciplinary Trauma Program was officially established. The Surgical Staff usually numbered five from among the following individuals (Stephens, Simpson, Shandling, Ein, Wesson and Superina). It was during Dr. Filler's term as Chief of the Division that the primarily private practice model of reimbursement for surgeons at SickKids was converted to a government-sponsored Alternate Funding Plan, and all of the General Surgical staff moved their offices into the hospital.
From 1993 to 1999, the Division struggled with its leadership and focus, with three Division Chiefs (Wesson, Pearl and Filler) each holding the Division Chief title for two to three years. Despite this, the busy clinical aspect of the Division continued at its usual high level, and the excellent quality of chief residents and fellows continued unchanged. The number of staff continued intermittently at five, (Shandling, Ein, Superina, Wesson, Pearl, Kim and Gerstle).
It was in the late 1990s that the end of four decades of one of the finest trios of paediatric general surgeons that ever graced a children's hospital (Clint Stephens, Jim Simpson and Barry Shandling) came to an end. Their experience totaled more than 100 years and would fill 100 textbooks.
Jacob Langer returned to SickKids in 1999 to become Professor of Surgery at the University of Toronto, the seventh Head of the Division of General and Thoracic Surgery at SickKids, and inaugural holder of the Robert M. Filler Chair in Paediatric Surgery. He held these positions until 2012. Dr. Langer and his colleagues, (Azzie, Chiu, Fecteau, Gerstle, Kim and Wales), welcomed an additional two surgeons, (Grace and Himidan), when under his stewardship, SickKids partnered with their paediatric surgery group at the North York General Hospital.
After an international search, Dr. Agostino Pierro, arrived from The Great Ormond Hospital in the UK to become the eighth division head. Under Dr. Pierro’s leadership the total number of surgeons rose to an all-time high of eleven staff surgeons. (Azzie, Baertschiger, Chiu, Fecteau, Himidan, Langer, Pierro, Sayed, Wales, Wolinska and Zani).
On December 1, 2022, the division welcomed Dr. Kasper Wang as the ninth new chief. He was previously Professor in the Department of Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California and on staff at the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles. Dr. Wang is internationally renowned in paediatric liver diseases with over a hundred peer-reviewed publications.
Dr. Wang welcomed back Dr. Rodrigo Romao and Dr. Joshua Ramjist, both past Fellows of the Division as well as Dr. Mercedes Pilkington.
The ten Division Chiefs, from 1956 to 2023, have trained well over one hundred young men and women, who presently practice paediatric surgery throughout the world. Among this group there were/are over 31 chiefs. All of these former trainees carry on the fine tradition of paediatric general surgery that they acquired at SickKids.