Archive for surgery
An off-the-shelf tamponade kit provides surgeons with ‘the luxury of time’ during a life-threatening emergency
It was a late Friday afternoon in April when the call came: A young boy was being transferred to Boston Children’s emergency department after swallowing a button battery. Although his mother had previously taken him to another local hospital when she noticed he wasn’t eating or drinking much, the battery ingestion had been missed until ... Read More about An off-the-shelf tamponade kit provides surgeons with ‘the luxury of time’ during a life-threatening emergency
Tagged: emergency medicine, gastroenterology, medical devices, safety, surgery
From ECMO to an active childhood: Nolan’s journey with congenital diaphragmatic hernia
Nolan Griffin knows how to use a stethoscope and rarely enters Boston Children’s Hospital without his medical kit. But Nolan isn’t a doctor — at least not yet. For now, the busy 2-year-old is a patient in the hospital’s Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Center, where he’s been receiving care since before he was born. Although Nolan’s ... Read More about From ECMO to an active childhood: Nolan’s journey with congenital diaphragmatic hernia
Finding a treatment option for tear duct obstruction that works for children
Congenital tear duct obstruction (a blocked tear duct) is the most common cause of excessive tearing in infants and young children. Fortunately, most children require minimal treatment, but those with persistent symptoms can have a procedure to clear the blockage either in a clinician’s office without anesthesia or in a surgical setting with anesthesia. Few ... Read More about Finding a treatment option for tear duct obstruction that works for children
Tagged: ophthalmology, research, surgery
Gold particles and light could melt venous malformations away
Venous malformations — tissues made up largely of abnormally shaped veins — are often difficult to treat, especially when located in sensitive areas like the eyes, face, and genitourinary organs. In the worst cases, the lesions are disfiguring and can crush or obstruct surrounding tissues, cause bleeding and clotting, interfere with breathing or vision, or ... Read More about Gold particles and light could melt venous malformations away
Tagged: drug development, nanotechnology, surgery, vascular anomalies
Pushing the envelope for Eoin: Our family’s experience with esophageal atresia
When I recently brought my son, Eoin, to Boston Children’s for an appointment, we ran into Dr. Farokh Demehri on the bridge from the parking garage. We smiled, laughed, and talked about how nice it was to see each other. It was a simple meeting, but one I had dreamed about for so long: I ... Read More about Pushing the envelope for Eoin: Our family’s experience with esophageal atresia
This two-handed robot goes deep into the brain
Robots have become common partners in the OR, enabling surgeons to operate through small incisions and manipulate tools endoscopically, avoiding invasive open surgery. But in neurosurgery, robots’ capabilities have been more limited. While they can assist with relatively simple procedures like inserting an electrode, more invasive and complex operations like removing a tumor still require ... Read More about This two-handed robot goes deep into the brain
Tagged: brain tumor, neurosurgery, robotics, surgery
Calm through the storm: Connor’s ulcerative colitis journey
When you meet Connor today, he’s a confident 13-year-old who is incredibly laid back when he speaks about his complex medical condition. This school year, he plans on playing basketball and running track. “I like hanging out with my friends and traveling — now I can do all these things without being in pain.” However, ... Read More about Calm through the storm: Connor’s ulcerative colitis journey
Does cannabis affect surgical outcomes? We need more data.
After alcohol, marijuana is the most commonly used recreational substance among U.S. adults and adolescents. Up to 22 million Americans 12 or older use cannabis. In a 2022 survey by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 0.7 percent of 8th graders, 2.1 percent of 10th graders, and 6.3 percent of 12th graders reported using marijuana ... Read More about Does cannabis affect surgical outcomes? We need more data.
Tagged: informatics, orthopedics, spine division, surgery
Uncertainty surrounds ACL treatment decisions in young athletes. It shouldn’t.
It’s an injury once seen mainly in adults, yet it’s become increasingly common in younger patients. From 2000 to 2020, the number of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears in children and adolescents increased between three- and five-fold. For young athletes, an ACL tear spells six to nine months of downtime, heightened risk for secondary ACL ... Read More about Uncertainty surrounds ACL treatment decisions in young athletes. It shouldn’t.
Tagged: acl, orthopedics, sports injury, sports medicine, surgery
‘Another level of care’: Second opinion solves Joey’s rare urologic condition
When Max and Shana arrived at Boston Children’s Hospital last year with their young son, Joey, their care team “made us feel a lot less special,” says Max. “And that was a great thing.” Joey was born with megacystic-megaureter syndrome, a urinary tract anomaly that is caused by high-grade vesicoureteral reflux, or the backward flow ... Read More about ‘Another level of care’: Second opinion solves Joey’s rare urologic condition