Baily & Love 18: Neonatal Surgery

Neonatal surgery sits at the intersection of urgency, vulnerability, and lifelong consequence. This episode explores surgical care in the newborn — where physiology is immature, margins for error are narrow, and decisions carry enduring impact.We discuss common neonatal surgical conditions, including congenital gastrointestinal obstruction, abdominal wall defects, and airway anomalies. The episode emphasises thermal control, fluid balance, ventilation, and the close collaboration between surgeons, neonatologists, and nursing teams.Listeners are guided through the principles of stabilisation before surgery, careful timing of intervention, and the ethical complexities of operating on patients who cannot advocate for themselves. This chapter underscores that neonatal surgery is as much about judgement and restraint as it is about technical skill. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit drmanaankarray.substack.com/subscribe