June 7, 2016

6816charlenecrockett175Texas Children’s Hospital is excited to welcome Dr. Charlene Crockett to the hospital’s Ophthalmology Division.

Crockett joined Texas Children’s Hospital in March as a pediatric ophthalmologist and is currently leading the hospital’s new Urgent Care Eye Clinic, which opened in January and currently receives patients with urgent ophthalmological needs.

Prior to being brought on as a full member of the ophthalmology team, Crockett was a fellow at Texas Children’s Hospital. During her one-year fellowship, she studied pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus.

Crockett earned her medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine and, along with the fellowship at Texas Children’s Hospital, completed an internship at the University of Texas at Houston.

In addition to her duties at Texas Children’s, Crockett is an assistant professor of ophthalmology at the Cullen Eye Institute and Baylor College of Medicine.

“The field of ophthalmology is fascinating,” Crockett said. “I love it and I love working with children and families.”

June 1, 2016

6116craniosynostosis640More than 120 people recently attended Texas Children’s Hospital’s annual Craniosynostosis Reunion, which honors families whose children have undergone craniosynostosis surgery at the hospital.

Donned in superhero T-shirts and capes, patients and their families enjoyed a day filled with games, socializing and laughter as they celebrated healed scars, which were barely visible in the patients’ hair. Families shared stories and remembered the hope and strength they received when their child had surgery.

At Texas Children’s, the comprehensive Craniosynostosis Surgery Program brings together a multidisciplinary team of pediatric neurosurgeons and plastic surgeons as well as geneticists, ophthalmologists, social workers, otolaryngologists and anesthesiologists to meet the needs of each patient.

“It is a privilege to take care of children,” said Dr. Sandi Lam, pediatric neurosurgeon and co-director of the Craniosynostosis Surgery Program at Texas Children’s. “We are lucky to be able to support and connect patients and families in a meaningful way, beyond surgery. Seeing these children and families reminds us why we do what we do every day.”

Led by Lam and Dr. Laura Monson, pediatric plastic surgeon and the program’s co-director, Texas Children’s Craniosynostosis Surgery Program is among the largest in the country, offering a spectrum of treatment strategies including minimally invasive surgery and complex reconstructions. For more information about the program, visit the website.

Billie Casteel, Mary Kana, Lorraine Cogan, Show Bower and Sarah Colton organized the annual Craniosynostosis Reunion event, mobilizing other dedicated Texas Children’s staff and volunteers. A special treat was “SteveO,” a Houston area professional photographer who graciously volunteered his services for this special Texas Children’s Hospital event.

May 27, 2015

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In children, early signs of vision loss or problems due to retina and/or optic nerve dysfunction can be difficult to detect and diagnose. A new machine, called Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), is the latest imaging technology allowing Texas Children’s pediatric ophthalmologists to evaluate for retinal diseases, uveitis and optic nerve disorders.

52815ophthalmologyinside175“The OCT is an imaging tool that is similar to ultrasound but uses light waves instead of sound waves to create high resolution images of the retina and optic nerve,” said pediatric neuro-ophthalmologist Dr. Veeral Shah. “This type of imaging allows us to detect changes in retina and optic nerve structure that may reflect loss and damage of visual function that might not be visible with an ocular examination.”

The OCT machine produces ancillary images that can reveal and monitor optic nerve edema, atrophy, subretinal fluid and signs of retina degeneration. The machine can image the retina and optic nerve in second, and overall will help pediatric ophthalmologists identify retina/optic nerve damage, which will aid in diagnoses, monitoring disease pathology, and determine precise medical or surgical intervention.

Only a handful of pediatric hospitals have an OCT machine and even fewer private practices have access to one. Texas Children’s purchased two of the machines late last year and have been using them since December. One of the OCT machines is in the Ophthalmology Department’s diagnostic imaging center and is used daily in the ophthalmology clinic. The other OCT machine has a hand-held design that can be used on sedated children or in the operating room to make intraoperative decisions.

“It is a great ancillary modality to make clinical decisions,” Shah said. “It’s especially helpful when evaluating young children who are preverbal, nonverbal, or unable to recognize vision loss.”

The Ophthalmology Division at Texas Children’s Hospital is one of the premier pediatric ophthalmology surgery programs in the nations with exceptional expertise, depth and quality of services and patient volumes. Our ophthalmologists perform more than 1,100 procedures each year and see more than 16,000 patients annually. They also are involved in clinical research to help improve the treatment of pediatric eye disorders.

October 7, 2014

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Research done by Texas Children’s ophthalmologists could put doctors one step closer to understanding why some children go blind.

Dr. Mohamed Hussein, assistant professor of ophthalmology with Baylor College of Medicine, recently collaborated with three of his colleagues at Texas Children’s and three of his colleagues at other institutions to evaluate the association of autonomic drug use to the development and severity of retinopathy of prematurity – one of the leading cause of blindness in developing countries.

The group’s findings were published in the current issue of the Journal of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, and reveal a significant association between the use of autonomic drugs, the development of ROP and the need for ROP treatment.

“What this means,” said Hussein, the lead author of the journal article, “is that we may be closer to having a better understanding of the theory of how ROP happens.”

To date, researchers have not been able to determine the exact cause for the disease that blinded soul musician Stevie Wonder, actor Tom Sullivan and jazz singer Diane Schuur. Most research has focused on an infant’s oxygen levels since ROP primarily affects premature babies who received intensive neonatal care, including oxygen therapy.

“No one had looked at ROP and autonomic drug use,” Hussein said. “Now we have, and now more research can be done to find a cause.”

Until then, Hussein said he is not ready to advocate recommendations regarding the use or the dose of the autonomic nervous system drugs used in neonatal intensive care units.

“These medications are used a lot in the NICU, so I’m not saying don’t use them,” he said. “More studies need to be done.”

Ultimately, Hussein said he hopes his research will lead to the cause of ROP as well as a way to prevent and better treat the disease, which affects between 5 percent and 8 percent of NICU babies in developed countries and up to 30 percent of NICU babies in developing countries.

“ROP is a big problem for pediatric ophthalmologists,” Hussein said, adding that the disease is becoming more prevalent with the increased survival rate of premature babies. “There is a real need for more information.”

July 15, 2014

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The Center for Children and Women is now dispensing eyeglasses. The addition of this service brings comprehensive optometry care to patients. After completing an eye exam, patients who need eyeglasses can immediately select from the many stylish frames that are available for children of all ages. This new service allows The Center’s patients to have all their optometry needs taken care of without leaving the building.

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In addition, The Center’s onsite optometrist makes it easy for Texas Children’s Health Plan members to keep up with eye exams. “I’m so proud to be a part of the Center and the value it provides the community,” says Dr. Brook Komar, The Center optometrist. “And now, in addition to their medical care, the patients can get all their eye care needs met in the same place. This is exciting.”

On May 20, all eyes were on Noel as staff members celebrated the first child receiving glasses at The Center for Children and Women. When Noel’s mom was asked what she thought of the experience, she said, “The process was very easy, and I am happy that The Center is so close to my home. Everyone has been so nice; they have taken good care of us.”

For more about information about The Center for Children and Women, visit JoinTheCenter.org.