How old is too old to bring your child to a pediatrician for a major surgery? Doctors say there are benefits to choosing a pediatrician When a Highland Ranch mother's 16-year-old son needed surgery for a painful hernia, she had to decide if it was better to take him to a pediatrician or surgeon for adults. and last updated 2021-05-19 09:52:56-04 When a Highland Ranch mother's 16-year-old son needed surgery for a painful hernia, she had to decide if it was better to take him to a pediatrician or surgeon for adults. Gannon Watson, a sophomore and wrestler at Mountain Vista High School in Highlands Ranch, had to stop wrestling because of the hernia. His mom, Heather Payant-Nguyen, had to make the decision about where he would get the surgery for his hernia, which had forced him to stop wrestling.