Updated 11:45 pm CDT, Wednesday, May 15, 2019 LOMA LINDA, Calif. (AP) — Dr. Leonard Bailey, who in 1984 transplanted a baboon heart into a tiny newborn dubbed "Baby Fae" in a pioneering operation that sparked both worldwide acclaim and condemnation, has died. He was 76. Bailey died Sunday after a long battle with cancer, said a statement from Loma Linda University Health, the nonprofit organization that runs the hospital 60 miles (nearly 97 kilometers) from downtown Los Angeles where Bailey worked for more than four decades. Baby Fae — whose real name was Stephanie Fae Beauclair — was born premature with a congenital heart defect called hypoplastic left heart syndrome. "At that time, babies born with certain kinds of exotic heart disease weren't even treated — they were set aside to die. And they uniformly did that," Bailey recounted in an interview with a Loma Linda publication in 2007. "I had encountered some of those babies. We tried various … [Read more...] about Surgeon who transplanted baboon heart into baby dies
Pediatric surgeon
Meet a true N.J. ‘angel’: This cancer surgeon has saved hundreds of kids’ lives
It was late in the day the week before Christmas, and the hospital halls were emptying out.Even Santa Claus had gone home.But Vanessa Forte-Abbadessa sat with her husband, holding vigil for their child.Her son Luke, who had just turned 2, was in surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York to remove a rare, aggressive cancer.Forte-Abbadessa knew it was possible that Luke would not make it through the high-risk surgery, in which the doctor would attempt to remove a bagel-sized tumor on the child’s adrenal gland. The mass, entangled with his abdominal aorta, was also interfering with his kidney. The hours dragged on — three, then five, and now eight.“They’re going to come in and tell me he’s dead,” she thought, waiting with her husband, Daniel. “There’s no way. It’s taken too long.”Finally, the surgeon, Dr. Michael LaQuaglia, emerged from the operating room. He started to apologize.“I’m so sorry … [Read more...] about Meet a true N.J. ‘angel’: This cancer surgeon has saved hundreds of kids’ lives
Australian surgeons separate conjoined twins from Bhutan
Surgeons have successfully separated conjoined 15-month-old sisters Nima and Dawa following nearly six-hour surgery at the Royal Children's hospital in Melbourne on Friday.The 15-month-old girls, Nima and Dawa, were doing well after the surgery that lasted nearly six hours, said Joe Crameri, the head of pediatric surgery at Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital.Dr. Joe Crameri, head of paediatric surgery at Melbourne Royal Children's Hospital, said in a press conference Friday that the successful surgery was a "relief" and a "joy"."We could certainly see today the value of the girls having that time with Children First and building up their strength and I think that will significantly help them with their recovery", Dr Crameri said. They shared a liver, but doctors started the procedure unsure if they also shared a bowel.The girls were successfully separated after a six-hour operation at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne.From that point on, to avoid confusion, Nima was known … [Read more...] about Australian surgeons separate conjoined twins from Bhutan
MGH surgeon says calls treatment of colleague on Boston-bound flight ‘shameful’
Visit The Boston Globe Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Comment on this Scroll to top of page Travis Andersen Globe Staff November 02, 2018 A Massachusetts General Hospital surgeon on Thursday slammed an airline crew for their “shameful” treatment of his colleague, who reported being racially profiled when staffers on the flight repeatedly asked to see her medical license while she helped a passenger in distress.The surgeon, Dr. Peter Theodore Masiakos, took to Twitter to highlight what he said was the bias that Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity specialist at MGH, endured during her Tuesday night flight. Stanford, who teaches at Harvard Medical School, was traveling on a plane operated by Republic Airline, a Delta Connection carrier, according to Delta. Both companies have apologized for any “misunderstanding” between Stanford and the crew. They’ve also said the matter is under review and that discrimination isn’t … [Read more...] about MGH surgeon says calls treatment of colleague on Boston-bound flight ‘shameful’
Pediatric surgeon: In medicine, cultivate relationships as well as technology
Dr. Michael Scheidler, pediatric trauma medical director at University Medical Center, was integral in building the hospital’s pediatric robotic surgery program, introduced in 2017. “Minimally invasive robotic surgery offers a number of significant advantages,” he says, “especially for pediatric patients. These include reduced risks of complications, improved recovery times and shorter hospital stays.” Compared with open surgery, Scheidler says, robotic procedures typically result in smaller incisions with minimal scarring, less blood loss and a reduced need for narcotic pain medications. When did you know you wanted to be a doctor? I was in high school when I realized I wanted to be a doctor. I worked for and shadowed a family practice doctor who worked out of his home. He was kind and compassionate to his patients, and they loved his common-sense approach. Although I have devoted my career to surgery, I strive to follow his example by building strong … [Read more...] about Pediatric surgeon: In medicine, cultivate relationships as well as technology