Texas Children's implants first child MicroMed/DeBakey ventricular assist device in the world A 6-year-old Texas Children's Hospital patient is the first pediatric patient in the world to receive a MicroMed/DeBakey® child ventricular assist device (VAD), recently approved by the FDA for use in children. La nueva bomba cardiaca, a más pequeña escala, mejora el flujo sanguíneo en pacientes que esperan un trasplante de corazón. "The new procedure is a medical breakthrough in pediatric cardiac care," said Dr. Charles D. Fraser Jr., the chief of cirugía cardiovascular del Texas Children's Centro cardíaco, quién realizó la cirugía. "It gives new hope for children with failing hearts because they now have potential to wait longer for hearts to become available for transplants." Houston resident Anna Grudziecke, whose cardiomyopathy, a thickening of the heart muscle, caused a rapid deterioration of her heart, underwent surgery on Friday, March 26, at Texas Children's in Houston. The surgery took approximately four hours.   Added benefits of this device include reduced surgery time and increased mobility. Learn more about this ground-breaking cirugía.

Teen receives double-lung liver transplant An Austin, Texas, teen became the first pediatric recipient of a double-lung and liver transplant in the southern and southwestern United States earlier this year. The procedure, only the 20th in the world to be performed on a patient of any age, occurred Monday, Jan. 5, at Texas Children's Hospital in the Texas Medical Center. The hospital houses the region's largest pediatric lung and liver program. Paul "Chase" McGowen, 13, underwent surgery to replace organs damaged by cystic fibrosis, a hereditary disease that causes multiple problems, including lung and liver failure. The operation, in which the lungs were transplanted prior to the liver, took approximately 12 hours. Dr. George Mallory, director of Texas Children's Programa de trasplante pediátrico de pulmones, cited teamwork for the procedure, which allowed the teen to breathe on his own the night after surgery for the first time in more than a year. Other team members include Dr. John Goss, who performed the liver transplant and directs the liver transplant program at Texas Children's; and Dr. E. Dean McKenzie, who performed the double-lung transplant and is the surgical director of Texas Children's heart and lung transplantation program. Conozca más sobre las procedure.

Texas Children's named national cell therapy center The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute recently named Texas Children's home to one of only three cell therapy centers in the nation. "This exciting mark of distinction will allow us to continue the development of cell therapies for pediatric cancer and other diseases," said Adrian P. Gee, who runs the cell therapy facility for the Cell and Gene Therapy Center del Texas Children's Centro oncológico and who also is a professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. "Health care institutions across the country will look to us for assistance in their clinical trials and treatment protocols." As a result of this award, Texas Children's Cell and Gene Therapy Center will receive an $8-million, five-year contract.  Cell therapy seeks to reverse the ravages of degenerative disease by injecting cells from the patient that have been modified in the laboratory. Cell therapy has proven successful in treating patients with different forms of cancer, particularly leukemia. The University of Minnesota and the University of Pittsburgh were the other sites selected by the National Heart and Lung Institute.

Educación para profesionales de la salud International attendees welcome May 15 - Pediatric Endocrinology Para obtener más información, visite http://cme.bcm.tmc.edu/search/detail.cfm?cme=364. June 14-18 - Acute Care Pediatrics: Review and Update of the State of the Art Held at the Hilton Oceanfront Resort in Hilton Head Island, S.C., this event is open to physicians, nurse practitioners, fellows and residents who care for children. Vea el formulario de registro or call 713-798-8237 para obtener más información.