Dr. Thomas Joseph Curran, MD

My Specialty and Why I Chose It

I am a pediatric surgeon. This means that I perform surgical procedures and do surgical consultations on a wide variety of conditions that affect infants and children. I started out to become a general surgeon, but I found that the sub-specialty of pediatric surgery was more interesting and gratifying. Many procedures are "miniaturized" from general surgery, but many are also unique to children. I found children and their parents to be more enjoyable to work with, and I like how children bounce back from surgical illnesses so much faster than adults.

My Practice Philosophy

There are not a lot of pediatric surgeons, so I feel privileged to have become one. My goal is to first make the child and parents comfortable with me, and next to accurately diagnose the condition which has been brought into question. I then strive to explain the treatment options, which are not always surgical, and advise them what I think is best. I often ask myself what I would …do for my own child. Lastly, I try to get them through the procedure with as little discomfort and scars as possible, and back to being the same kid again!



My Tenure with Kaiser Permanente

I came to Kaiser Permanente in the summer of 2006. Before that, I had practiced pediatric surgery for 11 years, both in university and private practice settings.

Why I Like Practicing Medicine at Kaiser Permanente

There are many reasons why I chose Kaiser Permanente. One is that it is a fully integrated system that connects everybody from prenatal (before birth) specialists, to primary care physicians, to other specialists with all the resources to provide optimal care for the family. I also like the fact that they are on the cutting edge (important for a surgeon) of information technology and electronic medical resources. Lastly, it removes many of the barriers and stresses that I previously found to make practicing medicine difficult these days. We are free to focus on the patient, rather than on the business and insurance company distractions.

My Professional Interests and Affiliations

My main interest within pediatric surgery has been "minimally invasive surgery". Although not everything can be done this way, many common problems lend themselves to being handled modern technology providing the tools to do surgery through smaller incisions with less pain, faster recovery and less scarring. I have published articles and given many presentations on this topic. I also have special interests in neonatal (newborn) surgery, thoracic (chest) surgery, oncologic (cancer) surgery and pediatric trauma care. Some of the associations I belong to are the American Pediatric Surgery Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics Surgical Section, the American College of Surgeons, and the AOA Honor Medical Society.

On a Personal Note…

I am a native Californian, and was very excited to join Kaiser Permanente and return here. My training and previous practices took me to the Northwest, as well as the Midwest, but California is home to me. I live with my wife, and two daughters, who are my pride and joy. In my free time, I enjoy doing things with the kids and occasionally getting out on the golf course.

About My Home Page

Thanks for visiting my homepage! I hope it has been helpful to you. I have also provided some links to associations with information useful to families with a variety of pediatric surgical problems, as well as some information about some of the more common conditions. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me by phone, or by e-mail through the website.