171 Ashley Ave.
Charleston, SC 29425
843-792-1414
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September 2009
This edition:
Child with Rare Disorder Benefits from Robotic Surgery
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The first sign of trouble for Allison Clark was the coughing that would start after her daughter Layne ate.
Then the 10-year-old vomited after eating a few times. "I gave it couple of days and then went to see our pediatrician," says Clark, who lives in Statesboro, GA.
He prescribed reflux medications to see if the vomiting would subside, but over the next couple of weeks, Layne vomited more frequently. She also began to lose weight.
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The focus on this month's Kids Connection (minimally invasive robotic surgery and wound healing) certainly impresses us with current techniques for reducing the discomfort and complications of surgery, but even more so, it reminds us of the incredible impact that technology has on medical care. For some advances in technology, it becomes possible to do things that we simply could not do before. For instance, the advent of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) allows imaging of tissues that were not visible by any prior imaging technique. Thus, MRI allows for identification of neurological, skeletal and internal organ abnormalities that could only be identified by direct or microscopic observation before MRI. However, most advances in minimally invasive techniques just provide a less invasive or alternative technique for accomplishing a similar outcome. For example, in both adult and pediatric cardiology, many procedures have been moved from the operating room to the catheterization laboratory - coronary stents instead of bypass surgery, balloon dilation of valves instead of open heart repairs, and closure of a variety of defects with catheter delivered devices rather than surgical repair.
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A Stronger Year Ahead
Every June, we see a lot of changes at MUSC. It is the end of the fiscal year and we see our current residents leave to begin other endeavors while new residents come on board with us to start their journeys. In many ways, July is a New Year celebration and a start for many exciting things. This year, we closed the fiscal year on the positive side for the Medical Center which was a huge success for the organization. With the challenges of the economy and added debt with the opening of the Ashley River Tower, having a positive bottom line is truly amazing.
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The strange coolness of scars
As a kid, I'd take pride in comparing my scars to those of my buddies - healed dog bites, marks from past bike crashes, minor burns and so on. There is something fascinating and cool about these natural products of the healing process.
It is ironic then, as a grown-up professor, heading a research lab, that I find myself having a second childhood of sorts, again spending time staring at and thinking about scars. My lab in the Department of Regenerative Medicine and Darby Children's Research Institute (DCRI) at MUSC is focused on scarring - in particular, how to reduce it.
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One bite, one step at a time
Sometimes it takes lots of small efforts to make a big change. This summer, I have been walking the Lit'le Bulldog Summer Campers across the Cooper River bridge as part of The Lean Team's health initiative. Many of the kids walked 1,500 miles last summer with us as well. Kids are very honest and shared, "It was very, very long and very, very hot!" However, all of the kids connected with each other and their community through walking the bridge. I am very proud of them!
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A special thanks to the following individuals for their efforts in putting together Kids Connection each month.
Editorial Assistant: Jennifer Cherock, Trio Solutions, Inc.
Publishers: Brian Dadin, Roxanne Hicks, Trio Solutions, Inc.
Feature Writer: Mary Sue Lawrence
Contributing Writers:
Rob Gourdie,
Philip Saul,
John Sanders,
Laura Cousineau,
Mary Joan Oexmann
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