Meet Dr. Chad E. Hamner

I was born and raised in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where I had the good fortune of spending most of my childhood surrounded by a loving, extended family. My father's side of the family, mainly rural farmers and laborers, was a stark contrast to my mother's family who were mostly college educated professionals. Together, they taught me the value of a hard day's work, satisfaction that comes with problem solving and seeing a job through to completion, fulfillment achieved from being able to share the fruits of your labor with your community, and humility knowing you must rely on the assistance of others to be successful. It is through these core values that I dedicated my life to surgery and serving the needs of sick and injured children.

My surgical training has carried me from Alabama to Minnesota, Ohio, and New York. I was fortunate to meet my wife during general surgical training at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where she was working as a nurse. We were blessed with our first son during my pediatric surgery fellowship at Cohen Children's Medical Center in New York. We moved to Fort Worth in 2009 when I joined the pediatric surgery staff of Cook Children's Medical Center. My family has grown, with the birth of two more sons, and we have felt embraced by the community of Fort Worth.

I am currently board certified in general surgery, surgical critical care and pediatric surgery from the American Board of Surgery, and I am a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. My clinical interests include trauma, critical care of neonates and children, congenital anomalies, tumors, minimally invasive surgery and chest wall deformities. I currently serve as the Medical Director for Pediatric Trauma Services and Co-Medical Director of Pediatric Critical Care Services at Cook Children's Medical Center (since 2010).

Outside of surgery, I enjoy spending time with my family. My sons are very active in sports and I often spend time coaching them and their teammates. My favorite hobbies include golf, working with carpentry or craft projects, drawing and cheering on Alabama football.

Services

  • Abdominal/gastrointestinal issues
  • Circumcisions
  • Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
  • Genitourinary surgery
  • Head and neck masses
  • Neonatal surgical conditions
  • Pectus Carinatum
  • Pectus Excavatum
  • Robotic surgery, laparoscopy, thoracoscopy
  • Thoracic surgery
  • Tumors and malignancies
  • Vascular, dialysis and feeding access

Publications

Articles
  1. Naik-Mathuria B, Ehrlich PF, Escobar MA Jr, Falcone R, Gosain A, Vogel AM, Jafri M, Thakkar RK, Slater BJ, Russell RT, Campbell B, Beaudin M, St. Peter SD, Russell KW, Kreykes N, Gaines B, Notrica DM, Hamner C, Renaud E, Gourlay D, DeJesus J. Prospective Outcomes of Standardized Non-operative Management of Pancreatic Trauma with Ductal Injury in Children: Less is More. J Peds Surg 2025;doi 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2024.161976.
  2. McLaughlin C, Ghandi A, Hamner CE. Anterior Cutaneous Neurectomy for Chronic Abdominal Wall Pain: A Case Report and Review of the Literature. J Ped Surg Case Reports 2017;doi 10.1016/j.epsc.2017.05.005.
  3. Chotai PN, Manning L, Eithun B, Ross JC, Eubanks JW, Hamner CE, Gosain A. Pediatric Near-Drowning Events: Do They Warrant Trauma Team Activation? J Surg Res 2017;212:108-13.
  4. Pandian TK, Hamner CE. Surgical Management for Complications of Lung Injury. Semin Peds Surg 2015;24:50-8.
  5. Hamner CE, Groner JI, Caniano DA, Hayes JR, Kenney BD. Blunt Intra-abdominal Arterial Injury in Pediatric Trauma Patients: Injury Distribution and Markers of Outcome. J Peds Surg 2008;43:916-23.
  6. Potter DD, Araoz PA, Ng LL, Kruger DG, Thompson JL, Hamner CE, Rysavy JA, Mandrekar JN, Sundt TM. Cardiotropin-1 and Myocardial Strain Change Heterogeneously in Cardiomyopathy. J Surg Res 2007;141:277–83.
  7. Thompson JL, Hamner CE, Potter DD, Lewin M, Sundt TM, Schaff HV. Melagatran for thromboprophylaxis after mechanical valve implantation: Results in a heterotopic porcine model. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2007;134:359-365.
  8. Pham TH, Moir C, Thompson GB, Zarroug AE, Hamner CE, Farley DR, van Heerden J, Lteif AN, Young WF Jr. Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma in Children: A Review of Medical and Surgical Management at a Tertiary Care Center. J Peds Surg 2006, 118(3): 1109-17.
  9. Zarroug AF, Hamner CE, Houghton SG, Pham TH, Stavlo P, Moir CR, Rodeberg DA. Bilateral Staged vs. Bilateral Simultaneous Thoracotomy in the Pediatric Population: Which is better? J Pediatr Surg. 2006:41(4);647-51.
Textbook
  • Surgical Care of Major Newborn Malformations. Edited by Dolgin SE and Hamner CE. Singapore: World Scientific. 2012.

Education

  • Medical school:
  • University of Alabama School of Medicine
  • Residency:
  • Mayo Clinic and Foundation
  • Board certifications:
  • General Surgery
  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Surgical Critical Care

Affiliations

  • American Pediatric Surgical Association, American College of Surgeons, Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma, Pediatric Trauma Society, North Texas Chapter American College of Surgeons, Society of Critical Care Medicine, Tarrant County Medical Society,Cook Children's Physician Network

Recognitions

  • Distinguished Physician Cook Children's Medical Center - Senior Consultant (2017)
  • Forth Worth Magazine Top Doctors - Pediatric Surgery (2012-2016)
  • Dr. Kaare K. Nygaard Travel Award for Basic Science Research - Mayo Foundation (2004)
  • Postdoctoral Grant - American Heart Association (2002-2004)
  • Clinical Investigator Award - Mayo Foundation (2001-2003)
  • Developmental Research Grant - Medtronic Inc. (2001-2003)
  • Developmental Research Grant - AstraZeneca Co. (2001-2003)
  • Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society (1998)
  • Phi Beta Kappa (1993)
  • Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity (1995-1999)

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