The Child's Doctor articles

The Child’s Doctor, Journal of Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago

The Child’s Doctor is published by Children’s Memorial Hospital twice a year for community-based physicians. The journal offers continuing medical education (CME) through articles authored by Children’s Memorial’s physicians. It also includes news articles on research at Children’s Memorial. Read the latest issue of The Child’s Doctor here.

Articles on topics in pediatric surgery:

Minimally Invasive Surgery in the Neonate by Katherine Barsness, MD Published Spring 2008

In the last decade, advances in minimally invasive surgery have significantly impacted the practice of pediatric surgery across a wide spectrum of disease processes. Minimally invasive surgery is based on the premise that the abdominal or thoracic cavity can be safely accessed with a telescope (sterile camera connected to a television) and several small instruments to perform an operation that is visualized on a screen. Both open and minimally invasive techniques have the same surgical goal; the differences are primarily in the methods used to access the anatomy of the disease process. The advantages to minimally invasive surgery can include less surgical pain, earlier return of bowel function, shorter postoperative hospital stay, more rapid return to routine physical activities and decreased scarring.

Critical Follow-up of Prenatally Diagnosed Anomalies Not Physically Evident at Birth by Christopher Talbot, MD; Marleta Reynolds, MD; Max Maizels, MD; Antonio Chaviano, MD; and Tord Alden, MD Published Spring 2006

Near universal ultrasound screening in the second trimester and ever better ultrasound resolution have increased the number of anomalies diagnosed prenatally. Among these are anomalies without physical evidence at birth, which nonetheless can have serious implications for the infant's health. We shall review 3 anomalies of the chest, brain, and urinary systems that are commonly diagnosed prenatally and may have no outward newborn findings. These conditions require timely surveillance in the first months of life to identify problems of potentially major importance, so prompt treatment can be initiated.

Minimally Invasive Surgery in Children by Mary Beth Madonna, MD, and Marleta Reynolds, MD Published Fall 2005

For many years, pediatric surgeons did not feel there was an advantage to minimally invasive surgery in children, although it was introduced to the general surgery population in 1987 and became common for many abdominal and thoracic surgeries in adults. In the 1990s, the leaders in pediatric minimally invasive surgery began performing laparoscopic procedures, such as cholecystectomy and appendectomy. These procedures were first performed in older children due to limitations of equipment, but over time manufacturers began making shorter and smaller instruments so that minimally invasive surgery could be performed on even the smallest infants. This article will focus on current uses of minimally invasive surgery for common conditions in pediatrics.

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