Archive for surgery
Teens aren’t small adults: Rethinking surgical treatment of adolescent clavicle fracture
Until about 15 years ago, most clavicle fractures were allowed to heal with minimal medical intervention. That changed after a 2007 study reported better shoulder function after plate-fixation surgery. Although the study participants were adults, the rate of surgical treatment subsequently increased across all age groups. Now, a landmark study at Boston Children’s Hospital demonstrates ... Read More
Nerve block and a way out of pain after surgery
If she hadn’t dislocated her knee severely when she was 13, Paige Thornton probably wouldn’t have such strong feelings about pain. But most teenagers haven’t gone through an experience like hers: two surgeries at a hospital outside of Boston followed by weeks of agonizing pain and a year and half struggling to walk. Blocks use ... Read More
New year, new face, same spirit: Zoey’s journey with encephalocele and cleft lip care
Seven-year-old Zoey loves school, her friends, and everything unicorn. She’s outgoing and happy and has an eye for looking her best. “She loves getting her nails done,” says her mother, Shana. “She’s straight diva.” Talking with Zoey and her mom, you can’t help but be inspired by their positive spirit, care toward others, and general ... Read More
Walter’s world: ‘Warrior’ toddler doesn’t let a brain tumor stop him
When Walter Merck attempts an obstacle course at his physical therapy appointment, “he just does what he wants,” laughs his mother, Amber. “It’s Walter’s world; we just live in it.” Like many 2-year-olds, Walter can be stubborn — but in his case, it may be a stubbornness born of necessity. Since infancy, he’s been overcoming ... Read More
Predicting feeding difficulties in children with esophageal atresia: A proactive approach
Children with esophageal atresia are at risk for developing anastomotic strictures, or areas of esophageal narrowing, following surgical repair. Clinicians have long assumed that such strictures can cause dysphagia and feeding difficulties, but it isn’t clear whether the severity of feeding difficulties is related to the severity of a stricture. Now, findings of a recent ... Read More
From PediaSure to pizza: Benjamin’s journey with esophageal stricture
This fall, Benjamin Hawkins and his family visited a local orchard to go apple picking. It’s a beloved tradition for many people, but this visit was extra special for Benjamin: For the first time in his life, he could take a big bite out of the apple he’d just plucked from a tree. In fact, ... Read More
Bladder surgery after Ewing sarcoma helps Paralympian get back on the slopes
Thomas Walsh’s email signature includes the phrase, “No struggle, no progress.” It’s a motto that Thomas, 27, has lived by since he was a teenager. An avid skier who has been competing since he was just 5 years old, he faced a different kind of opponent when he was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma at age ... Read More
The secret to safer heart surgery lies in modernizing an old technique
Of the many features in the recently-opened Hale Family Building at Boston Children’s, maybe one of the most impactful for patients and clinicians is an innovation that puts a new spin on an old way of conducting perfusion in open-heart surgery. Used in cardiac operating rooms (ORs) until only a few decades ago, wall water systems had ... Read More
Maternal-fetal care helps ‘All Smiles Myles’ beat a CPAM
Myles Gifford is “fearless and defiant,” says his mother, Katy. “We’ll be in big trouble when he’s a teenager,” she laughs. “But it’s benefited him so far.” In fact, Myles, now more than 18 months old, needed to draw on his perseverant personality almost as soon as he was born. Katy, her husband, Mike, and ... Read More
Innovative flatfoot surgery releases Quinn’s inner athlete
By the time he was 10, Quinn’s parents had tried almost everything. Dawn would sometimes massage his feet to relieve the pain and tightness caused by flexible flatfoot, a condition in which a child has very little or no arch in their feet. Joseph did physical therapy exercises with him at night. But despite their ... Read More