Lily J. Saldaña Gallo, MD

Dr. Lily J. Saldaña Gallo is a pediatric surgeon from Peru. She graduated in 2001 from the Universidad San Martin de Porres and in 2005 from the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in Lima, where she specialized in pediatric surgery. In 2012, Dr. Saldaña earned a Master´s degree in Endoscopic Surgical Techniques from the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona. She followed that in 2021 with a Master´s degree in International Senior Management at Universidad Complutense de Madrid – Spain.

Dr. Saldaña currently works at the Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño (INSN) and leads the Peruvian Pediatric Surgical Oncology Committee of the national Ministry of Health. She is also a pediatric surgery professor at the Universidad Ricardo Palma in Peru.

Professionally her main interests are minimally invasive surgery in newborns and children, surgical oncology and global surgery. Her wish is for every child in the world to have access to high quality and timely surgical care.

Dr. Saldaña has volunteered her time and professional skills in the poorest regions of Peru and the world. She helped found the Global Initiative of Children´s Surgery in 2016 and remains the Peruvian delegate. She is also a member of the Peruvian Society of Pediatric Surgery, the Society of International Pediatric Surgical Oncology and the International Pediatric Endosurgery Group.

She hopes that an MS in Global Child Health will help her set the standard for excellency in pediatric surgery.

“I chose the Master of Global Child Health program because I want to direct my professional experience and desire to help to a larger scale,” she says. “I am focused on developing effective pediatric preventive health care programs in resource-poor settings in Peru and around the world.”

Education

Master’s International Senior Management: Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain (2021)
Master’s Endoscopic Surgical Techniques: Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (2012)
Pediatric Surgery: Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima (2005)
Medical Degree: Universidad San Martin de Porres, Lima (2001)

Publications

Abdelhafeez H, Reljic T, Kumar A, Saldaña L, et al. Evidence-based surgical guidelines for treating children with Wilms tumor in low-resource settings. Pediatric Blood & Cancer. 05 August 2022.

Vasquez L, Maradiegue E, Saldaña L, et al. Catalyzing Childhood Cancer Care in Peru After One Year of the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer. JCO Glob Oncol. 2021 Feb;7:187-189.

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study. Global PaedSurg Research Collaboration. The Lancet 2021, July; 398 (10297): 325-339.

Peck C, Le N, Saldaña L, et al. Improving Outcome Collection Following International Surgery Trips: A Proof of Concept from a Pediatric Hand Reconstruction Trip to Peru. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open 2020 Sep; 8(9 Suppl): 95-95.

Grabski D, Ameh E, Ozgediz D, Bickler S, Saldaña L and multiple GICS authors. Optimal Resources for Children's Surgical Care: Executive Summary.Global Initiative for Children’s Surgery. World J Surg. 2019 Apr;43(4):978-980.

Goodman LF, St-Louis E, Yousef, Saldaña L and multiple GICS authors. Global Initiative for Children's Surgery: A Model of Global Collaboration to Advance the SurgicalCare of Children. Global Initiative for Children’s Surgery. World J Surg. 2019 Jun;43(6):1416-1425.

Goodman LF, St Louis E, Yousef Y, Wright N, Saldaña L, and multiple GICS authors. The Global Initiative for Children's Surgery: Optimal Resources for Improving Care. Eur J Pediatr Surg. 2018 Feb;28(1):51-59.

Bujons A, Saldaña L, Caffarati J, Garat JM, Angerri O, Villavicencio H. « Can Endoscopic Balloon Dilation for Primary Obstructive Megaureter be effective in a long term follow up? Journal of Pediatric Urology (2015).

Cosentino M, Algaba F, Saldaña L, Bujons A, Caffarati J, Garat JM, Villavicencio H. “Juvenil Granulosa Cell Tumor of the Testis: A Bilateral and Synchronous Case. Should Testis Sparing Surgery be mandatory Pediatric Case Report J. Urology 2014.05.006. 694-696.

Saldaña L, Targarona E. “Single Incision Pediatric Endosurgery. A Systematic Review”. Journal of Laparoendoscopic & Advanced Surgical Techniques. Vol 23, Number 5, 2013.