Florida Hospital Best in Care: Women and Children - Summer 2012 - (Page 6)

Quite a Struck with a rare condition on vacation, Katie Lee returns home to Florida for advanced robotic surgery. What started out as a backache during vacation turned out to be a severe problem for then 16-yearold Katie Lee of Tampa. She never imagined her spring break would be cut short or that she’d have 22 inches of her colon removed a month later. Raleigh ompson, While in Alabama in April 2011 MD, Pediatric with her mom and a friend, Katie Surgery experienced a backache. Because she’d had backaches before, she didn’t think much about it. She took pain relievers and sought relief in the warm waters of the hotel’s hot tub. The pain refused to subside, however, and she began to worry. When her backache progressed to severe abdominal pain and Christopher vomiting, Katie’s mother, Carla Anderson, MD, Pediatric Surgery Lee, took her to an urgent care facility. From there, they drove to a hospital in Mobile, on the Gulf Coast, where physicians discovered a twisted colon was causing her severe pain. In the hospital’s trauma center, surgeons prepared for emergency surgery. Yet just eight minutes before the operation was to begin, there was a sudden change of plans. Trip KATIE GETS A DIAGNOSIS Raleigh Thompson, MD, pediatric surgery medical director at Florida Hospital for Children, explains that Katie was diagnosed with sigmoid volvulus, which usually occurs in young children and the elderly. “Sigmoid volvulus, a bowel construction where the colon twists or rotates on itself, can cause abdominal pain, distention and constipation,” says Dr. Thompson. “There is a high incidence of recurrence, and if it happens at the wrong time without medical care available, it can be fatal.” Katie would need surgery to repair her colon. SCHOOL COMES FIRST Once home, Carla immediately contacted Dr. Thompson in Orlando to schedule surgery. However, Katie, an honor roll student, didn’t want to miss upcoming advanced placement (AP) exams. So, Dr. Thompson worked with her to postpone surgery for a week. “We actually did the surgery after AP exams and before regular exams so it wouldn’t interrupt my schedule,” she says. “I was more afraid of missing my exams than I was of the surgery itself.” ROBOTIC SURGERY MINIMIZES KATIE’S SCARS In May 2011, Katie underwent robotic surgery at Florida Hospital for Children with Dr. Thompson and Christopher Anderson, MD. In the end, they removed 22 inches of Katie’s colon. The large intestine, including the colon, is 63 inches long. “By robotically removing part of Katie’s colon, she avoided a large incision on her abdomen,” says Dr. Thompson. “A smaller incision meant less pain and she was home much sooner.” “I would’ve had one long scar, similar to a Caesarean section incision and it just would’ve been awful,” recalls Katie. “Instead I have four small scars that aren’t that noticeable. It doesn’t bother me and actually makes for a really funny story.” Katie recovered in just seven days, and within two weeks she was back to her normal life. Now in 11th grade at Plant City High School near Tampa, Katie looks forward to her senior year and going away to college. She’s a member of the school newspaper sta and enjoys outdoor activities including rowing and rollerblading. Katie and her mother are thankful to the surgeon in Mobile who referred her to Drs. Thompson and Anderson. “I couldn’t have asked for better doctors,” she says. “They were a perfect team.” CONSULTING A REGIONAL EXPERT “One of the surgeons, who had trained under Dr. Thompson, reached out to consult with him on the best course of action. After much discussion, they decided to perform a gastrointestinal endoscopic procedure in Mobile and have Katie return to Florida for robotic surgery with Dr. Thompson,” remembers Carla. The medical team in Alabama was able to alleviate her pain so she could return safely to Florida for surgery. HEALTHY 00tips Research shows that strength training, such as lifting weights or doing pushups, stimulates the immune system, in addition to improving bone health. TWO REASONS TO LIFT WEIGHTS 6 For questions or to RSVP to events, call (407) 303-BEST (2378).

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Florida Hospital Best in Care: Women and Children - Summer 2012

Florida Hospital Best in Care: Women and Children - Summer 2012
Brand New Day
Control epilepsy with personalized treatment
Not even two surgeries can keep Tampa teen from AP exams
A perfect summer salad recipe

Florida Hospital Best in Care: Women and Children - Summer 2012