Archive for surgery
Making up for lost time: Living with esophageal atresia
Whether he’s riding his dirt bike, learning how to swim, playing with his dogs and cats, or herding the chickens and goats on his family’s farm, Landen Spry loves staying active and being outside. “He’s making up for lost time,” says his mother, Jolene. She isn’t exaggerating. During his young life, he’s spent nearly a ... Read More about Making up for lost time: Living with esophageal atresia
Provider Spotlight: Meet Dr. David Mooney
David P. Mooney, MD, MPH, is director of the Trauma Center, an assistant in the Department of Surgery, and an associate professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School. He’s been at Boston Children’s Hospital for 20 years. How did you become interested in pediatric surgery? I realized early on that I have a “surgical personality.” ... Read More about Provider Spotlight: Meet Dr. David Mooney
Ready for the next step: Innovative care for Chase
Chase Essex loves pizza and has even prepared shrimp scampi for his family. So it might come as a surprise that, until recently, the 14-year-old hadn’t eaten by mouth for much of his life. “Now,” says his mother, Antoinette, “he eats everything in sight.” More than a decade ago, Chase was like any other curious ... Read More about Ready for the next step: Innovative care for Chase
Beyond limits: A staged approach to jejunal interposition
By the time Chase Essex arrived at Boston Children’s Hospital in 2016, he had reached what most clinicians would consider the limits of modern medicine. Surgeons at his home hospital had performed nearly three dozen procedures to address damage to his trachea caused by his accidental ingestion of lye years earlier. Yet when it came ... Read More about Beyond limits: A staged approach to jejunal interposition
How to have surgery and help others at the same time
Ryan Zanchi and his parents didn’t hesitate when invited to participate in research about spinal surgery. Ryan was diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis at the age of 13 and had surgery two years later. Now his spine is straighter, and his contributions to science will help other patients for years to come. “Ryan’s surgery went so ... Read More about How to have surgery and help others at the same time
Opioid alternative? Taming tetrodotoxin for precise painkilling
Opioids remain a mainstay of treatment for chronic and surgical pain, despite their side effects and risk for addiction and overdose. While conventional local anesthetics block pain very effectively, they wear off quickly and can affect the heart and brain. Now, a study in rats offers up a possible alternative, involving an otherwise lethal pufferfish ... Read More about Opioid alternative? Taming tetrodotoxin for precise painkilling
What to consider when choosing a pediatric surgeon
As a parent or caregiver, it’s only natural for you to want the best for your child. But when you receive a diagnosis that requires surgery as part of treatment, how do you know what the “best” is? Here are five things to consider when you’re selecting a pediatric surgeon. Expertise Pediatric surgeons all have ... Read More about What to consider when choosing a pediatric surgeon
Safety trial of algal anesthetic kicks off
Two years ago, we told the story of the quest of Charles Berde, MD, PhD, of Boston Children’s Division of Pain Medicine, to turn an algal toxin called neosaxitoxin into a long-lasting local anesthetic. At that time, Berde—together with Alberto Rodríguez-Navarro, MD, from Padre Hurtado Hospital in Santiago, Chile, and a Chilean company called Proteus SA—already knew that ... Read More about Safety trial of algal anesthetic kicks off
Muriel’s story: Choosing life after loss
I was with my mom when she had a heart attack. I was only 3 years old, but I remember her falling down and the EMTs arriving and later being told she had passed away. As I got older, I understood that my mom’s weight and health habits caused her heart disease and ultimately her ... Read More about Muriel’s story: Choosing life after loss
Daphne’s story: Lifting the fog on bladder exstrophy
The day of their 18-week prenatal appointment was the first day of the most difficult 18 months of Pam and Jon’s life. When the ultrasound technician couldn’t see their baby’s bladder, they were sent home to try again later. They had so many questions, plus a 2-year-old daughter, their careers, and a house to take ... Read More about Daphne’s story: Lifting the fog on bladder exstrophy