Precision: Perspectives on Children’s Surgery

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and Northwestern Medicine have established the Collaborative Advanced Reconstructive Evaluation (CARE) Clinic, which provides multidisciplinary care for children, adolescents and women with congenital anomalies and acquired diseases of the genitourinary tract. In this episode, two of the clinic's leaders, Drs. Julia Geynisman-Tan and Dr. Julia Grabowski, talk about the transformative surgical innovations they've developed and life-changing procedures and supportive care they offer to help women achieve functional vaginal anatomy, relief from pain, the ability to menstruate and more.

Experts in cardiac care at Lurie Children's Hospital want to ensure that children with congestive heart (CDH) disease live the healthiest, happiest lives possible. Lurie Children's unique, comprehensive approach is dedicated to investing in the long-term outcomes of children with CHD. In this episode, Dr. Kiona Allen, attending physician in cardiology and Medical Director of the Regenstein Cardiac Care Unit, discusses key components of a supportive, long-term approach for children with this condition. This includes neurodevelopmental and mental health support, exercise, teaching children to take ownership of their health and helping bridge the gap for those with socioeconomic obstacles.

Anti-seizure medications are the mainstay of epilepsy treatment, but these medications are not effective for all forms of epilepsy, such as Lennox-Gastaut syndrome or LGS. It's a rare form of epilepsy that has no cure. Dr. Sandi Lam, Division Head, Neurosurgery at Lurie Children's,  is working to help pediatric patients with LGS and their families manage this condition by investigating the outcomes that matter most to patients and their families. In this episode, Dr. Lam talks about this important work and how it may help build a roadmap that will empower the future of research for LGS and other pediatric epilepsies and rare diseases.

In this episode, leaders from the multidisciplinary Spina Bifida Center at Lurie Children's  discuss their innovative approaches to spina bifida care in the areas of fetal surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedics, and urology. Learn about the latest advancements from the center, including a new orthopedic classification system that's shaping the future of spina bifida treatment.

Pediatric and adolescent patients at risk of losing their fertility due to medical conditions and treatments have more options than ever before to preserve their fertility for the future. In this episode,  Dr. Monica LaRonda, an expert in the field of reproductive biology,  shares many new projects she is leading alongside surgeons in Lurie Children's Fertility & Hormone Preservation & Restoration Program.

A good night's sleep is critical to the health and well being of children, but undiagnosed or untreated obstructive sleep apnea can prevent kids from getting much needed rest and is associated with cardiovascular complications, impaired growth, learning problems, and behavioral problems. In this episode of Precision, Drs. Saied Ghadersohi and Taher Valika discuss the importance of sleep for children and the impact of obstructive sleep disordered breathing, which affects nearly 5 percent of the youth population in the United States. They offer advice to parents and share insights on advanced treatments at Lurie Children's Hospital which are helping kids get the rest they need.

Transformative care through pediatric plastic and reconstructive surgery takes place every day at Lurie Children's Cleft Lip and Palate Repair Program. In this episode,  Dr. Arun Gosain, Division Head of Plastic Surgery at Lurie Children's, discusses the full spectrum of care the program offers to children with cleft lip and cleft palate, from birth through adulthood.

Lurie Children's Department of Anesthesiology administers tens of thousands of anesthetics every year to treat children with a range of health conditions. Leading these efforts is Anesthesiologist-in-Chief Dr. Olutoyin Olutoye. In this episode, Dr. Olutoye walks through her and her team members' various roles before, during, and after an operation to ensure successful surgeries for even the tiniest babies. She also shares findings from her research in maternal-fetal anesthesiology as well as in anesthesia drugs and pediatric obesity.

Two Lurie Children's experts are on a mission to help define the next era of fetal cardiac intervention. In this episode, Dr. Sheetal Patel, a pediatric cardiologist and medical director of the fetal cardiology program at Lurie Children's, and Dr. Alan Nugent, a pediatric interventional cardiologist and section head of interventional cardiology catheterization at Lurie Children's, discuss their vision to use innovation and interventions to treat complex congenital heart diseases before birth.

Obesity affects millions of families, with about one in five U.S. children being impacted by the disease. In this episode, Lurie Children's pediatric obesity expert Justin Ryder, PhD, explains the many ways to manage childhood obesity including the use of injectable GLP-1 receptor agonists that address the biological causes of this disease, weight-loss surgery and other resources available through Lurie Children's Wellness and Weight Management Program. Dr. Ryder also advocates for Lurie Children's mission: to improve access to these resources and treatments for all patients.

The Heart Transplant Program at Lurie Children's is one of the largest and most comprehensive heart transplant programs of its kind in the country. Just a few years ago, it reached a major milestone of completing its 400th pediatric heart transplant. The program's 40-person cardiovascular thoracic surgery team makes the program uniquely equipped to handle the most high-risk cases with exceptional care. In this episode, Dr. Michael Mongé, Surgical Director of the Lurie Children's Heart Transplant Program and Dr. Philip Thrush, Medical Director of the program, discuss how their team is uniquely equipped to take on high-risk pediatric heart transplantation patients, who are often turned away at other hospitals.

Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, known as DIPG, is a rare and aggressive type of pediatric cancer that forms in the brainstem, resulting in approximately 200 to 300 new cases in the United States each year. Fortunately, investigators at Lurie Children's Hospital are paving the way to breakthrough treatment for children with DIPG. In this episode, Lurie Children's physicians Dr. Ashley Plant-Fox and Dr. Michael DeCuypere discuss the progress of this first-of-its-kind, phase 1 clinical trial for DIPG that has been open since January of 2022 and offers hope for a disease that currently has no curative options.  

A disorder called Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or what is commonly referred to as POTS, has been on the rise in recent years in both adults and children. While surgery is not required, for children with cardiovascular symptoms of POTS, the Lurie Children's Heart Center team has taken a forward-thinking approach to treating the condition. Expanding its resources to meet increased demands, Lurie Children's POTS program has become one of the few comprehensive programs for pediatric cases of POTS. In this episode, Jillian Myers, director of the POTS Program and Brittany Holst, a senior exercise physiologist within the program, discuss POTS in children, its ties to COVID-19 and other viral illnesses and treatment options that emphasize exercise and hydration.

Specialists within Lurie Children's Clubfoot Treatment Program are changing the lives of children born with clubfoot and other congenital limb deformities, through gold standard care that starts soon after birth. In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Carl and Dr. Romie Gibly, both attending physicians in the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine at Lurie Children's, explain the timeline of treatment, handling of complications and the long-term outcomes of patients who undergo clubfoot care at Lurie Children's.

Throughout the evolution of neonatal and pediatric heart surgery, Lurie Children's has built a reputation for building trust with families and providing the best possible care for children with complex heart conditions. In this episode, David Winlaw, MBBS, MD, FRACS, the surgical co-director of Lurie Children's Heart Center, discusses early diagnosis of heart conditions, advancements in neonatal heart surgery, and the integrated cardiac team at Lurie Children's Hospital

For children needing a new liver or kidney, the greatest hurdle is often finding a healthy organ. While the organs of deceased donors are extremely limited, living donors can offer pediatric patients a chance at life. Lurie Children's Living Donor Transplant Program is the largest in the region thanks to a partnership with Northwestern Medicine. In this episode, Dr. Juan Caicedo and Dr. Satish Nadig, who lead the program, offer insight into this decades-long collaboration that has resulted in more than 1,700 solid organ transplants since its inception and offers organ donors and recipients the best and most comprehensive care possible.

The Lurie Children's Microtia and Aural Atresia Program is dedicated to improving hearing, communication and cosmetic outcomes for children born with microtia, a congenital birth defect affecting the ear's form and function. Leading this multidisciplinary initiative are co-directors Stephen Hoff, MD, and Akira Yamada, MD, PhD. On this episode, they discuss both the aural and reconstructive aspects of microtia treatment, as well as the program's team of experts offering families the most innovative therapeutic and surgical options all in one place.  

Since the early 1990s, under the direction of Nancy Young, MD, FACS, FAAP, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's of Chicago Cochlear Implant Program has provided cochlear implants to thousands of children with hearing loss, improving their hearing and quality of life. Now, new cochlear implant research at Lurie Children's led by Dr. Young is harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to help identify which children may benefit from more intensive therapy after their implant surgery. Dr. Young explains this research and how it could improve the lives of children beyond those with hearing loss. 

The use of robotic technology in pediatric head and neck surgery is still in its infancy, but Dr. Douglas Johnston is leading progress in this field through Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago's Comprehensive Pediatric Robotic Surgery Program. He is one of the few pediatric head and neck surgeons worldwide skilled at performing transoral robotic surgery on children. Dr. Johnston joins the show to explain the variety of head and neck pathologies where robotic technology at Lurie Children's can provide safe and effective surgical alternatives for patients.

The division of Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, cares for more than 49,000 patients with bone, joint, muscle ligament, and nerve disorders every year. In this episode, you will hear from three pediatric orthopedic specialists at Lurie Children's, Drs. Cynthia LaBella, Neeraj Patel, and Jill Larson, who are spearheading research to uncover and address inequities, improve treatment options and offer better access to care for all children who need it. 

A cutting edge robotic surgery program at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago is helping surgeons perform intricate operations on children as young as two weeks old with unparalleled precision and control. Lurie Children's is one of the few free-standing pediatric hospitals in the world to offer this type of minimally invasive surgical option for children. In this episode, two Lurie Children's surgeons detail how robotic surgery is a gamechanger for the field of surgery and young patients. Timothy Lautz, MD, is an expert in pediatric general surgery and surgical oncology and Bruce Lindgren, MD, is a renowned specialist in pediatric urology. 

In this episode, Dr. Thomas Inge discusses his journey as a pioneer of pediatric bariatric surgery, which includes a more than 20-year commitment to providing surgical care for severely obese teenagers. He explains his long-term research project that has shown how bariatric surgery can improve the quality of life for young patients. He also details his vision of the department of surgery which is aligned with the hospital's commitment to CARE: Clinical Excellence, Advocacy, Research and Education.

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and Northwestern University are leading an innovative study to evaluate ways to improve recovery and outcomes in children undergoing elective gastrointestinal surgeries. Such protocols have been found to decrease hospital length of stay and lower costs and complications among adult surgical populations. But evidence for pediatric populations is lacking. This episode features Mehul Raval, MD, MS, FAAP, FACS, a pediatric surgeon and the principal investigator on a $3.5 million National Institutes of Health-funded ENRICH-US study (Enhanced Recovery In Children Undergoing Surgery). The study includes 18 U.S. pediatric hospitals around the country. Dr. Raval is an expert in general pediatrics surgery and surgical oncology at Lurie Children's and discusses the study as well as some of its preliminary findings.  

Advances in fetal imaging, genetic diagnosis and other innovations have made it possible to screen for congenital abnormalities early on in pregnancies. Such advances provide opportunities for specialists at The Chicago Institute for Fetal Health at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago to treat and sometimes cure a condition before birth. The Chicago Institute for Fetal Health performs more than 3,500 consultations each year on a wide range of fetal conditions. In this episode, Aimen Shaaban, MD, a fetal surgeon and director of The Chicago Institute talks about the breadth of services available, from pre-birth counseling to complex fetal surgeries.  

Surgical innovations are changing the field of neurosurgery and improving the lives of children with conditions such as epilepsy at Lurie Children's. Sandi Lam, MD, a pediatric neurosurgeon at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, is a leading specialist in the areas of minimally invasive epilepsy surgery and neurovascular surgery, and is known for discovering curative treatments for life-threatening neurological disorders. In this episode, she shares her expertise in minimally invasive and endoscopic techniques and how her research is transforming pediatric epilepsy care.

It's estimated that nearly 4 million surgeries are performed on children each year in the U.S. But no matter how complex or routine these surgical procedures may seem, none are simple, and the skill of a surgeon is always a key component of its success. On this episode of Precision, Earl Chang, MD, explains the benefits of seeking out highly trained pediatric surgeons and specialized providers, like those at Lurie Children's.

Take a look inside the operating room at one of the nation's premier children's hospitals. Lurie Children's pediatric surgeons discuss in detail some of the life-saving procedures they perform, how their research is advancing pediatric medicine, and what drives them to be the best.

More than ever before, children treated for serious illnesses are living well into adulthood. This happy statistic means there is increased awareness of long-term quality of life concerns, such as the risk of infertility. The comprehensive Fertility & Hormone Preservation & Restoration Program at Lurie Children's offers solutions for those young patients, giving many their only chance to have biological children one day. The program's leaders talk about this remarkable field of medicine and the hope it provides families.

Lurie Children's Chest Wall Deformities Program is one of the few comprehensive centers in the country that focuses on the treatment of conditions including pectus excavatum, or sunken chest. Pediatric surgeon Dr. Fizan Abdullah is a world-renowned authority on minimally invasive surgery and chest wall deformities, and leader in researching health services and surgical quality improvement. We talk with him today about advances in chest wall deformity diagnosis and treatment.

Lurie Children's is among the only pediatric hospitals with a specialized colorectal center. The multidisciplinary team cares for children with colorectal conditions such as imperforate anus, Hirschsprung disease and severe constipation. Learn more from two of the center's leaders, Dr. Julia Grabowski and Dr. John Fortunato, about how their comprehensive approach to treating children with these conditions stands out.

Lurie Children's nationally ranked Division of Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine is engaged in many research studies. Experts are exploring ways to improve the bone health of children, prevent injuries and the need for unnecessary surgeries, and address health disparities in children's orthopedic care. Today we talk with three of the division's specialists about their current scientific pursuits, and how that will transform care children and teens with orthopedic disorders.

Lurie Children's nationally ranked Division of Urology oversees one of the most experienced Multidisciplinary Valves Program (MVP) Clinic in the country. Their focus is treating children with a rare urological condition known as posterior urethral valves. Affecting only boys, PUV affects about 1 in 5,000 births and can lead to extreme damage to the kidney and bladder. Lurie Children's urologist Dr. Ed Gong and kidney specialist Dr. Kavita Hodgkins run the valves program and talk with us today about best practices in treating this rare and serious condition.

One of the only comprehensive fetal centers in the country, The Chicago Institute for Fetal Health at Lurie Children's, treats patients with complex pregnancies. Among the rarest and most serious condition they see is twin to twin transfusion syndrome, a complication that affects 10 to 15 percent of identical twins. In this condition, the twins share a placenta which can lead to extreme prematurity and significant injury to major organs or even death. Fetal surgeons like our guest Dr. Amir Alhajjat are sometimes able to correct this condition in utero. Today, we talk with him about this serious condition and treatment for it.

When children suffer from heart failure and all medical options are exhausted, sometimes the next option is to use mechanical support to keep their heart going. The machine that supports this is called a Ventricular Assist Device, commonly known as a VAD. Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago is the home to the #1 ranked pediatric Heart Center in Illinois and offers one of the highest-volume pediatric ventricular assist device (VAD) programs in the world. We hear from the leaders of that program at Lurie Children's.

Spina bifida affects about 1,400 babies born each year. Children with the most severe forms of the condition can have difficulty walking, bowel and bladder issues and many other complications. The multidisciplinary Spina Bifida Center at Lurie Children's provides  comprehensive care for children and adolescents with spina bifida and other types of congenital spinal anomalies, from prenatal consultation through young adulthood. Dr. Robin Bowman leads the center. She is a neurosurgeon who sometimes performs a surgery on babies diagnosed with spina bifida, repairing the condition and improving the prognosis for the child. We talk with her today about the latest in spina bifida treatment and care.

Lurie Children's Heart Center makes the second opinion process easy for families seeking peace of mind that their child is getting appropriate medical care from experts in their field. Learn how this program works, and how it benefits families facing a difficult diagnosis.

Lurie Children's Division of Ophthalmology provides a range of eye care for children, from those who need to correct their vision with glasses to those who endure eye trauma to those with serious congenital eye disorders and pediatric glaucoma. The division's head, Dr. Brenda Bohnsack, is a physician-researcher who specializes in complex eye problems in children, sometimes restoring vision in children who would otherwise be blind. She discusses her clinical work and her research investigating new treatments for children with the most severe eye disorders.

Lurie Children's Division of Otolaryngology treats more children for ear, nose and throat conditions than any other hospital in Illinois. One important component of the division is its Aerodigestive Program, which provides comprehensive care to children with – among other conditions – disordered breathing and sleeping disorders. Dr. Taher Valika, the medical director of the program, discusses his expertise in complex airway and sleep surgeries, how children benefit from his work and the research he is doing in this area to enhance treatment options.

More and more, babies with congenital heart diseases are diagnosed before they are born thanks to advances in ultrasound technology. Dr. Sheetal Patel, Director of Lurie Children's Fetal Cardiology Program with the hospital's nationally ranked Heart Center, is our guest today to discuss advances in this type of medicine, including a newly developed process at Lurie Children's that streamlines the transferal of newborns with heart conditions to Lurie Children's from their hospital of birth, reducing transfer time and risks to the baby.Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago is the home to the #1 ranked pediatric Heart Center in Illinois and offers one of the highest-volume pediatric ventricular assist device (VAD) programs in the world. Today we talk with the leaders of that program at Lurie Children's.

Lurie Children's is one of the only pediatric hospitals in the world home to experts in the surgical treatment and care for children with a rare disorder in which a clot forms blocking the main portal vein going into the liver. This condition is known as portal vein thrombosis, the cause of which in many cases is never determined. At Lurie Children's, two pediatric liver experts are able to help many children with this condition avoid a liver transplant, even when their families have previously been told that is the only treatment. Today we talk with those physician-surgeons, Drs. Riccardo Superina and Caroline Lemoine.

When young patients get the devastating diagnosis of a brain tumor, their families want to know what treatment options they have to pursue. Pediatric neurosurgery specialists like Dr. Michael DeCuypere is not only trained in minimally invasive neurosurgery to remove tumors, but he is also among the few pediatric neurosurgeons in the country who is studying new ways to diagnose and treat them. We talk with him about the surgeon's role in treating pediatric brain tumors and the potentially game-changing research he is leading now in this area.

Young patients with functional neurological complications, or problems with walking, general movement or chronic pain, can have trouble maintaining a high quality of life. Experts in this field like Dr. Jeffrey Raskin, who leads the functional neurosurgery program at Lurie Children's, aim to provide treatment options that can help these pediatric patients and their families thrive.

Through cutting-edge treatment and surgical interventions, the Lurie Children's Liver Center goal is to improve quality of life and avoid transplant whenever possible. When transplant is the only option, our Liver Transplant Program is among the most experienced in the country. Drs. Superina and Lemoine, international authorities on pediatric liver conditions, discuss their expertise in this area.

Renowned pediatric heart surgeon Dr. Sunjay Kaushal, the division head of cardiovascular-thoracic surgery at Lurie Children's, is in addition to saving children's lives in the OR, leading research that includes clinical trials with cardiac stem cells in congenital heart disease surgery patients. He discusses the game-changing research that has already shown promising results.

Drs. Sandi Lam and Joyce Wu, renowned pediatric epilepsy specialists, share news and insight about advances in pediatric epilepsy treatment - surgical and otherwise - and the research they're doing to continue to improve care.

Drs. Michael Mongé and Philip Thrush, who lead the Heart Transplant Program at Lurie Children's, discuss the program's successful outcomes and volumes and what goes into running a premier pediatric heart transplant program.

Lurie Children's pediatric orthopedic surgeon and physician Jill Larson, MD, discusses the treatment of spine, hip and foot deformities in the neuromuscular patient population and how she integrates multidisciplinary care, quality and safety initiatives and safe uses of innovative technology in the care of pediatric patients. Also a research scientist, she discusses her clinical research and how she collaborates with colleagues to answer tough questions.