AS THIS is the first general meeting of the Academy since the establishment of a surgical section, it would seem fitting to comment on our hopes for this venture. The last few decades have seen great advances in all fields of medicine. Among the most widely known, perhaps, are insulin, antibiotics, chemotherapy, water balance, vitamin and hormone therapy and other laboratory discoveries. I want, however, to call your attention to some of the advances which have been made in the field of pediatric surgery and to remind you that although these have been aided by laboratory achievements they would have been impossible without the cooperation of the pediatrician.
Please recall that roughly 30 years ago atresia of the bile ducts carried a mortality of 100%. Intestinal obstruction due to midgut volvulus had an equally high mortality. Congenital diaphragmatic hernia—other than those through the esophageal hiatus—had an estimated 90% mortality. The recovery of a patient with intestinal atresia was indeed a rare incident. The mortality from intussusception, and even from pyloric stenosis, was nearly 60%.
Today the mortality in these and other conditions has been reduced by from 25% to 75%, and in some conditions to nearly zero. This striking lowering of mortality has been brought about largely by men, both medical and surgical, who devote their energies to the care of infants and children. It seems, therefore, particularly opportune and appropriate that these pediatricians and pediatric surgeons should join together in a concerted effort to advance the care of this age group. I, for one, am sufficiently optimistic to believe that greater advances will be made in the decades to come if we all work together and with one goal in mind; namely, the improvement of the lot of the afflicted child. The establishment of a surgical section in this Academy certainly should help the pediatrician, the pediatric surgeon and last, but far from least, sick children.
