Well - Summer 2011 - (Page 9)

xlee RodRiguez has a love/hate  relationship  with  cheese  pizza.  Like  most other fourth-grade boys, Oxlee  opens  his  big  brown  eyes  as  wide  as  pepperonis at the sight of a slice of the  cheesy  junk  food.  What’s  not  so  typical  about Oxlee is that for him, a simple slice of pizza can cause  a blister to form on his esophagus, making it difficult to swallow.  Oxlee  has  a  condition  that  he  and  his  family  refer  to  as EB, or epidermolysis bullosa. EB is a disorder that causes  blisters to form on the skin or other surfaces with even the  slightest irritation, such as eating a slice of pizza. Oxlee’s condition brings him to the pediatric operating room at UNC  Hospitals every few months, when the scar tissue that develops over time in his throat makes it difficult to swallow. Although  it  doesn’t  get  any  easier,  his  mom,  Cynthia  Rodriguez, is used to the stares Oxlee receives when those in  public first see him wrapped in bandages. But when the family  started coming to UNC Health Care, something felt different. “He always feels like he’s on exhibit,” says Cynthia. “So  very early on, he got an idea that he didn’t like white coats  and doctors. At UNC, they don’t look at him like he’s different. That  makes  a  difference  to  him  walking  through  the door.” What Is Epidermolysis Bullosa? Epidermolysis bullosa, or EB, is a group of inherited disorders in which skin blisters develop in response to minor injury. Symptoms can include: •   air loss H •   listers around the eyes and nose B •   listers in or around the mouth and throat, causB ing feeding problems or difficulty swallowing •   listers on the skin as a result of minor injury or B temperature change •   listering that is present at birth B •   ental problems such as tooth decay D •   oarse cry, cough or other breathing problems H •   iny white bumps or pimples T   •   ail loss or deformed nails N Surgical treatment options can include: Changes for the Better William Adamson, MD, who has been treating the 9-year-old since shortly after he first visited UNC Health Care at age 2, is by title the chief of pediatric surgery and surgeon-in-chief of N.C. Children’s Hospital. But above all, Dr. Adamson is a passionate advocate for top-quality pediatric care. Recently, Dr. Adamson and his team in the second-floor pediatric surgery unit have undergone some changes that have given them an opportunity to restructure and redefine their mission.They now operate in six newly converted surgical suites that were formerly shared with the Women’s Hospital, allowing the physicians and staff to focus solely on their pediatric patients instead of having to shift focus back and forth between adult patients and children. Dr. Adamson and the other four general pediatric surgeons at UNC Health Care perform a range of procedures in these six operating rooms, from routine appendectomies to treating the most complex neonatal anomalies.The team that works here, including the nurses, anesthesiologists and surgeons, is fully trained and dedicated to children’s care.As part of this recent shift, Dr. Adamson also encouraged the team to apply for funding that would provide a more kid-friendly atmosphere in the unit. As a result of the grant, brightly colored murals have been painted at the entrance to the floor, the hallways, even the walls and ceilings in the operating • Aggressive, attentive care of chronic skin wounds • Dilation of the esophagus if there is a narrowing • Repair of hand deformities • Removal of squamous cell carcinoma Sources: National Center for Biotechnology Information, A.D.A.M. rooms. The ultimate goal is to reduce some of the anxieties often associated with surgery for young patients. “For a child, it’s all about the fear of leaving your parents or the fear that somebody is going to do something to you that hurts,” Dr.Adamson says.“I would prefer to have a child roll down the hall distracted by a giraffe or orangutan rather than focusing on his fear of leaving his parents.If we can distract him for just 20 or 30 seconds, then he will be smoothly off to sleep in the OR.” > Putting Concerns to Rest PHoTos: HeaTHer LaUffer for Tamara LaCkey PHoTograPHy www.unchealthcare.org 9 http://www.unchealthcare.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Well - Summer 2011

Well - Summer 2011
Contents
UNC Health Care News
Community
Radio City Rockettes Visit Children’s Hospital
Prostate Protection
Surgery Through Oxlee’s Eyes
Nutrition
Calendar

Well - Summer 2011