Surgery – Page 26 – Texas Children's News

September 1, 2015

Bench and Bedside is a digest of the previous month’s stories about the clinical and academic activities of our physicians and scientists. We welcome your submissions and feedback.

August 4

Department of Urology to present 12 papers at international conference

The Department of Urology will be well represented at the 26th Congress of the European Society for Paediatric Urology this October in Prague. Twelve of the department’s abstracts were chosen for posters, most with presentations.

August 4

Zoghbi receives seven-year Javits award to advance ataxia research

Dr. Huda Zoghbi, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and the director of the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (NRI) at Texas Children’s, has been awarded a Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke for her “distinguished record of substantial contributions in the field of neurological science.”

August 4

Texas Children’s Pediatrics celebrates 20 years of providing primary care

Twenty years ago today, Texas Children’s launched what is now the largest pediatric network in the nation with more than 200 board-certified pediatricians and 50 practices throughout the greater Houston community. Each year, the group sees 400,000 patients and completes more than a million visits.

August 4

Grant funds first therapeutic vaccine for Chagas disease in humans

The Sabin Vaccine Institute and Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development have received a $1.8 million grant to accelerate development of the first therapeutic vaccine for Chagas disease in humans. The vaccine is in a development program under the direction of Drs. Peter Hotez and Maria Elena Bottazzi. Chagas disease impacts people throughout Texas, and Texas Children’s is leading the way in vaccine development.

August 18

Texas Children’s opens urgent care center in The Woodlands

Texas Children’s has expanded its urgent care network, adding a location in The Woodlands next door to the community’s children’s museum on West Panther Creek Drive.

August 18

Texas Children’s Hospital is a sponsor for the 2015 Be The Match Walk-Run

Be The Match Walk-Run is a fundraising event that helps patients find a bone marrow, stem cell, or cord donor and receive a life-saving transplant. Each year the Texas Children’s Bone Marrow Transplant Program has a group of patients, employees and their families who walk or run in support of this life saving research. You and your family are invited to join us as we support and raise awareness for the Be The Match registry.

August 18

Join the NRI, Baylor team for the 2015 Walk Now for Autism Speaks

Ready to lace up to support a worthy cause? The Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s and Baylor College of Medicine invite you to join their team for the 2015 Walk Now for Autism Speaks.

August 10, 2015

Bench and Bedside is a digest of the previous month’s stories about the clinical and academic activities of our physicians and scientists. We welcome your subsmissions and feedback.

July 7

Texas Children’s Hospital launches pediatric Thyroid Tumor Program

Texas Children’s Hospital recently formed a new pediatric Thyroid Tumor Program dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of children and young adults with thyroid tumors, cancer and diseases. Read more

July 7

Radiology expansion promotes environment of collaboration

New and improved office space for the Department of Pediatric Radiology brings together all radiologists in one large reading room and houses the department’s offices in one centralized location. The expansion also provides space for daily morning huddles. These changes help ensure the hospital’s imaging services are available for patients in a timely manner. Read more

July 14

Dr. Susan Blaney elected chair of CPRIT Advisory Committee on childhood cancers

Dr. Susan Blaney, deputy director of Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers, was recently elected to serve as chair of the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) Advisory Committee on Childhood Cancers (ACCC). Blaney, who has been a member of the committee for three years, will serve a two-year term. Read more

July 14

Health Center staff prepares for transition to community hospital setting

With the opening of the outpatient and subspecialty building at Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands just 15 months away, steps are being taken to ensure the transition for staff, patients and their families is seamless. One such step was taken June 25 and 26 when staff and leaders at the Woodlands Health Center and staff and leaders at the West Campus Outpatient and Subspecialty Building met and discussed what it’s like to go from working at a small community health center to a community hospital. Read more

July 14

Texas Children’s opens first-of-its-kind pediatric Heart Failure Intensive Care Unit

Texas Children’s Heart Center and the section of Critical Care Medicine cut the ribbon July 6 on a new, first-of-its-kind pediatric Heart Failure Intensive Care Unit. This highly-specialized 12-bed unit focuses on the treatment of children with heart failure, as well as those requiring intensive care before and after heart transplant. Read more

July 14

Young investigator given research boost from national grant

Dr. Rikhia Chakraborty is a young scientist with a distinct goal – to find the causes that potentially lead to Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), a rare cancer mainly affecting pediatric patients, and determine the best way to prevent and treat the disease. Chakraborty’s research was recently recognized by Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation with a Young Investigator Grant worth $100,000. Read more

July 14

Hour-long documentary on Mata conjoined twins to air on Discovery Life Channel

An hour-long documentary on the formerly conjoined Mata twins aired on the Discovery Life Channel on July 16 . The program spotlighted Texas Children’s Hospital’s efforts leading up to and after the historic surgery that separated Knatalye Hope and Adeline Faith Mata. Read more

July 14

Department of Surgery makes great strides 2010-2015

During his annual state of the department meeting, Surgeon-in-Chief Dr. Charles D. Fraser Jr. highlighted the impressive efforts within the Department of Surgery. Read more

July 20

A new community hospital partnership allows patients to deliver at CHI St. Luke’s Health – The Vintage Hospital

Pregnant members of Texas Children’s Health Plan – The Center for Children and Women Greenspoint location recently received some big news. They can now deliver their babies at CHI St. Luke’s Health – The Vintage Hospital located in Northwest Houston. Read more

July 21

Texas Children’s conference empowers HH patients, families

On July 11, Texas Children’s Hospital and Hope for Hypothalamic Hamartomas hosted an educational conference to empower patients and their families affected by a rare and often devastating brain condition. Hypothalamic Hamartoma (HH) is a noncancerous tumor of the hypothalamus that causes uncontrollable seizures, early puberty, hormonal imbalances and cognitive and behavioral problems. Read more

July 21

World renowned epileptologist, colleagues visit Texas Children’s Hospital

World renowned epileptologist Dr. Helen Cross and two of her colleagues visited Texas Children’s July 9 and July 10 to get more information on the Medtronic Visualase system, which uses real-time MRI-guided thermal imaging and laser technology to destroy lesions in the brain that cause epilepsy and uncontrollable seizures. Read more

July 21

Leaders prepare for opening of special isolation unit

Clinicians recently participated in a detailed simulation to prepare for the soon-to-be-open special isolation unit. The state-of-the-art facility will open its doors in October and a Special Response Team will stand ready to receive children suspected of having a highly contagious disease. Read more

July 21

End-of-treatment bell brings hope for cancer patients

Patients at the Texas Children Cancer and Hematology Centers now can ring a bell in both the inpatient and outpatient units at the end of their treatment. Listen to a song Purple Songs Can Fly artist and cancer survivor Christian Spear wrote and dedicated to patients entering a new phase of their lives with the ringing of the end-of-treatment bell. Read more

July 21

ICD-10: Let’s reach 100 percent educational compliance by September 1

On October 1, Texas Children’s and other hospitals around the nation will convert to the federally-mandated ICD-10 coding system to better report patients’ diagnoses and inpatient procedures. To ensure we are ready systemwide for this transition, employees must complete their required online education and training by September 1. You can access your assigned e-learning module here. Read more

July 28

Texas Children’s Auxiliary awards given to Gargollo and Rosenfeld

The Texas Children’s Hospital Auxiliary awarded urologist Dr. Patricio Gargollo the Denton A. Cooley Fellowship in Surgical Innovation Award and orthopedic surgeon Dr. Scott Rosenfeld the Outcomes Fellowship Award for 2015. Each award totals $75,000. This is the fourth year the Department of Surgery has received funding from the Texas Children’s Auxiliary. Read more

July 28

NRI study: Insufficient energy production by mitochondria can lead to neural degeneration

In a fascinating study recently published in PLOS Biology, Dr. Hugo Bellen, Manish Jaiswal and their colleagues at the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s found that insufficient energy production by the mitochondria can cause photoreceptor neurons in the retina to degenerate. Read more

July 28

Fraser celebrates 20 years with Texas Children’s Hospital Heart Center

Thanks to the vision of legendary heart surgeon Dr. Denton H. Cooley and the leadership of Texas Children’s Hospital Surgeon-in-Chief Dr. Charles D. Fraser Jr ., the Texas Children’s Hospital Heart Center is one of the most active pediatric heart programs in the United States, setting a record with 32 heart transplants in 2014 and consistently treating the most complex heart issues every day. Read more

July 28

Texas Children’s expands crucial care to cancer and hematology patients in developing countries

Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Center physicians are crossing the globe to provide care for children suffering from cancer and blood disorders. Watch a video to see how the care they provide continues to reach new populations. Read more

July 28

Zarutskie’s arrival, expertise complements patient care at Family Fertility Center

Dr. Paul Zarutskie recently joined the Family Fertility Center at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women. With more than 30 years in the field of reproductive medicine, Zarutskie combines his expertise and compassionate approach to patient care to help infertile couples achieve their dream of starting a family. Read more

August 14

Transplant Services team to host pediatric transplant symposium

Texas Children’s Hospital Transplant Services team is hosting the 2015 Pediatric Transplant Symposium at Texas Children’s Hospital. Learn how to register for this conference. Read more

August 4, 2015

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our staff to talk about the innovative things we are doing here at Texas Children’s Hospital,” said Chief of Urology Dr. David Roth. “We look forward to sharing our knowledge with the world of pediatric urology.”

Roth added that he could not be prouder of our faculty for contributing to the advancement of pediatric urology in this international forum.

“This is a further reflection of our recent No. 3 ranking by U.S. News & World Report,” he said.

In continuing with the tradition, the 26th Congress of the European Society for Paediatric Urology will be a joint meeting with the Society for Paediatric Urology, American Association of Pediatric Urologists, American Academy of Pediatrics/Section on Urology, Society for Fetal Urology and International Children’s Continence Society.

July 28, 2015

Thanks to the vision of legendary heart surgeon Dr. Denton H. Cooley and the leadership of Texas Children’s Hospital Surgeon-in-Chief Dr. Charles D. Fraser Jr., the Texas Children’s Hospital Heart Center is one of the most active pediatric heart programs in the United States, setting a record with 32 heart transplants in 2014 and consistently treating the most complex heart issues every day.

Since its inception 60 years ago, surgeons with the program have performed more than 27,000 cardiac operations, many of which have pushed the boundaries of a field pioneered by Cooley at Texas Children’s Hospital. The center has continued to push such boundaries under the leadership of Fraser, who joined Texas Children’s in 1995 and has helped focused the center on increasingly complex repair work, particularly in newborns and premature infants.

“I think Cooley would say that some of the contributions we’ve made in the past 20 years he didn’t dream could possibly be happening,” Fraser said. “We will continue to reach for a high bar and not coast on what Cooley and others got started here.”

The Heart Center began shortly after Texas Children’s opened its doors in 1954, a time when the idea of specializing in cardiology or heart surgery was a new concept on adults, much less children and infants. But, Cooley, a masterful surgeon ready to implement the advancements he had seen in medical school, was determined to make Texas Children’s the birthplace of pediatric cardiac care.

One of the program’s first major advances came when Cooley and his colleagues were able to open up the heart and operate inside it. The development of the heart-lung machine, which diverted blood from the heart and lungs, allowed this to happen and drove other doctors to Texas Children’s to observe what was unfolding.

Another milestone that garnered the Heart Center a lot of attention came in 1984 when Cooley performed the first pediatric heart transplant on 6-month-old Sara Remmington. The procedure was unlike anything that had been done, even in adults.

“That really was an exciting occurrence that attracted a lot of attention to the Texas Children’s surgical program,” Cooley said.

Fraser, who recently celebrated his 20th anniversary with Texas Children’s Hospital, is no stranger to monumental surgeries. During his career with the organization, he has performed the smallest arterial switch operation ever reported on a baby girl weighing less than two pounds. He also led a surgery on then 5-week-old Audrina Cardenas, who was born with her heart outside her chest. Fraser and a group of multidisciplinary surgeons saved Audrina’s life during a miraculous six hour open-heart surgery where they reconstructed her chest cavity to make space for the one-third of her heart that was outside of her body.

“We have a tremendous breadth of expertise in pediatrics at Texas Children’s,” Fraser said. “The Heart Center couldn’t be successful with a small baby without this whole focused interest on the children.”

Looking forward, Fraser said his team will continue to refine their techniques and focus on smaller and smaller children. Also, he said his team will work toward providing children with heart problems a life similar to that of a person with a normal, healthy heart.

“The pediatric cardiovascular field has had great success in obtaining survival and meaningful life for people with heart problems,” Fraser said. “Giving such patients a completely normal life, however has not yet been attained and is a goal we want to work toward.”

An important part of the Heart Center’s path forward is its continued relationship with the Texas Heart Institute, which Cooley started in 1962. For more than four decades, the two institutions have worked closely as they achieved numerous successes and Fraser said as long as he’s with Texas Children’s that relationship will continue.

“We’re enormously respectful and grateful for that mutually beneficial partnership,” Fraser said. “We can do so much more together moving forward.”

The Denton A. Cooley Fellowship in Surgical Innovation Award is given to a physician whose surgical research focuses on innovative ways to help children and to save lives. The Outcomes Fellowship Award supports patient care, education and research.

Gargollo is director of the Program for Complex Urogenital Reconstruction, associate medical director for Pediatric Surgery of the Texas Children’s Simulation Center and co-director of the Urology Robotic and Minimally Invasive Surgery Program. With his award money, Gargollo proposes to integrate clinical simulation into the curriculum for medical students, residents, fellows and physician assistant fellows. Specifically, he proposes to combine training in laparoscopic techniques and simulation technology.

Rosenfeld specializes in pediatric orthopedics, sports medicine, scoliosis and hip disorders. He also is co-director of the Adolescent and Young Adult Hip Clinic at Texas Children’s. With his award money, Rosenfeld proposes to develop diagnostic algorithms for pediatric musculoskeletal infections and determine the most efficacious means of treatment. These clinical practice guidelines will be region specific, making them useful in all parts of North America.

July 20, 2015

Bench and Bedside is a digest of the previous month’s stories about the clinical and academic activities of our physicians and scientists. We welcome your subsmissions and feedback.

June 30

Blaney’s vision for SAIF helps advance research from bench to bedside

Texas Children’s Small Animal Imaging Facility (SAIF) at the Feigin Center has helped advance scientific investigations. The center allows for collaborations that lead to higher levels of innovative research within the Texas Medical Center. Read more

June 30

Dr. Hugh Allen receives distinguished award from the American Society of Echocardiography

Dr. Hugh Allen, pediatric cardiologist at Texas Children’s Hospital, was presented with the Council on Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease Founders Award from the ASE. Allen received the prestigious accolade during ASE’s Annual Scientific Sessions. Read more

June 30

Mid-year roundup: NRI publishes groundbreaking research in 2015

Texas Children’s scientific research writer Dr. Rajalaxmi Natarajan highlights some of the 2015 groundbreaking discoveries from the NRI labs of Drs. Benjamin Deneen, Hugo Bellen, Mirjana Malatic-Savatic and Anne Anderson, who continue to pioneer innovative treatments to improve the quality of life for children with devastating neurological diseases. Read more

June 30

Dr. Rachel Rau given Chao Physician-Scientist Award for Leukemia Project

Dr. Rachel Rau received the 2015 Chao Physician-Scientist Award for her project “Defining the Role of DOT1L in DNMT3A-Mutant Leukemia.” Read more

June 23

Texas Children’s Pediatrics launches new mobile health management app

Managing health care decisions and contacting your child’s provider just got easier thanks to Texas Children’s Pediatrics’ new mobile app. The ParentAdvice Center, available for free on iTunes and Google Play, will help families make smart decisions about the level of care needed for their children and offer information about providing symptom relief for minor illnesses or injuries at home. Read more

June 23

The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) honors Texas Children’s Hospital alarm management team

The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) has given the AAMI Foundation & Institute for Technology in Health Care’s Clinical Solution Award to Texas Children’s Hospital alarm management team, which combined stakeholders from across the institution in partnership with an innovative healthcare analytics company, Medical Informatics Corp. The team used real-time data to drive decison and change conversations related to alarms to pave the way for quality improvement in the area. Read more

June 16

Dr. Peter Hotez – US Science Envoy

Dr. Peter Hotez, who heads the Sabin Vaccine Institute and Texas Children’s Center for Vaccine Development, works with several leaders in his current position, and he’s recently added leader of the free world to that list. Hotez has been appointed to the role of U.S. Science Envoy by the White House and State Department. Read more

June 16

Maddie’s Mission donates $40,000 plus to CMV awareness efforts, research

Maddie’s Mission, a Katy-based organization dedicated to educating people about a common virus that can cause a serious infection in your unborn baby, recently donated more than $40,000 to the CMV Research Fund to benefit congenital CMV research conducted at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital. Read more

June 16

Texas Children’s Urgent Care is on Facebook

Texas Children’s Urgent Care, now on Facebook, was created to respond to the growing need for expert pediatric urgent care. Read more

June 9

Formerly conjoined twin, Adeline Faith Mata, joins family after being discharged from Texas Children’s Hospital

Formerly conjoined twin Adeline Faith Mata joined her family June 9 after being discharged from Texas Children’s Hospital. Her sister, Knatalye Hope, went home in May, less than three months after she and Adeline underwent a successful separation surgery. Dressed in matching striped pastel sundresses, the girls smiled for cameras capturing the monumental moment. They, along with their family, will stay in Houston for the next month before moving back to Lubbock. Read more

June 9

Dr. Arnold serves as ambassador to grassroots advocacy

Dr. Jennifer Arnold is serving as the face of Speak Now for Kids, a grassroots advocacy effort to get patient families and health care providers promoting issues that matter to pediatric patients. Arnold explains how you can help. Read more

June 9

Texas Children’s/AAP Member in Action: Dr. Julie Katkin

Texas Children’s pediatric pulmonologist Dr. Julie Katkin has been an active, engaged member of the American Academy of Pediatrics for several years. Learn how Texas Children’s partnership with the AAP helps physicians advocate for their patients. Read more

June 9

Pediatric anesthesiologist receives honor from Baylor College of Medicine

Texas Children’s Pediatric Anesthesologist and Baylor College of Medicine Associate Professor Dr. Olutoyin Olutoye recently received the college’s Rising Star Clinician award. Read more

June 9

Texas Children’s pediatric urologists honored by Society of Pediatric Urology

Dr. Jason Au was awarded the top prize for his case presentation, “Urologic Considerations in the Seapration of Conjoint Twins.” Dr. Chester Koh was appointed to serve a three year term on the Society for Pediatric Urology Executive Council. Read more

July 14, 2015

Texas Children’s is spotlighted in an hour-long documentary about Knatalye Hope and Adeline Faith Mata, who were born conjoined on April 11, 2014 at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women. An elite surgical team at Texas Children’s Hospital successfully separated the twins 10 months later. Both girls are doing well and are with their family in Little Field, which is just outside of Lubbock.

Produced by Lincoln Square Productions, an ABC News Production Company, the documentary will air at 8 p.m. Thursday, July 16 on the Discovery Life Channel. Called “Conjoined Twins: Miracle Separation,” the documentary follows the twins’ extensive journey from birth through separation. It also includes the first interview with the Mata family since they made it home.

“We are truly honored to be able to share the Mata family’s remarkable story,” said Jane Latman, general manager of Discovery Life Channel. “Our belief is that their story will offer hope and inspiration to other families going through difficult situations.”

A large portion of the documentary focuses on the 26-hour separation surgery the girls went through at just 10 months old. Cameras inside the operating room captured the complex choreography between the surgeons, anesthesiologist and surgical nurses who worked tirelessly to separate the conjoined twins, who were fused from the chest to the pelvis.

“This surgery was not without its challenges with the girls sharing several organ systems,” said Dr. Darrell Cass, lead surgeon and co-director of Texas Children’s Fetal Center. “This is the first time a separation surgery for thoraco-omphalo-ischiopagus twins with this particular configuration has been successful.”

In addition to seeing what the twins went through during surgery, viewers of the documentary also will follow Knatalye and Adeline through every phase of the arduous process leading up to and following their separation. At only 8 months old, the twins underwent a tissue expansion surgery to prepare their skin for separation. The girls continue to receive a rigorous regime of physical, occupational and speech therapy.

Elysse and Eric Mata, the twins’ parents, share their feelings on the documentary about the entire ordeal and what they had to go through as a family to make it all happen. Elysee talks about how she lived out of a temporary home near the hospital for a year while her girls were at Texas Children’s Hosptial. Eric, meanwhile, maintained his job at their permanent residence nearly eight hours away, commuting to hospital as much as possible.

“They have only been a part of our lives for nine months, but they have done so much for me as a mom,” Elysse said a month before Knatalye and Adeline were separated. “I just can’t imagine not having them.”

The encore of the documentary is scheduled for July 20 and October 9 on Discovery Life. Find out what channel Discovery Life is on in your area and with your provider here. The documentary also will air July 20 on TLC. Check the network’s website for showtimes.

archive test