Tufts Medical Center News Headlines
Week of April 9, 2007 - April 16, 2007
The following headline stories are re-printed from the Tufts Medical Center News, Tufts Medical Center's weekly publication.
Obesity Consultation Center Performs 1500th Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass Surgery
The bariatric surgeons of the Obesity Consultation Center (OCC) at Tufts Medical Center performed their 1500th laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery last week. Tufts Medical Center was the first medical center in New England to perform the gastric bypass surgery using minimally invasive techniques and has done more laparoscopic gastric bypass surgeries than any other program in the region.
“This milestone reflects the dedication of our entire team in helping to provide minimally invasive treatment options for those patients with medically severe, intractable obesity,” said Scott Shikora, MD, FACS, Chief of Bariatric Surgery at Tufts Medical Center and Surgical Director of the OCC. “Gastric bypass not only results in meaningful and sustainable weight loss, it can also improve or cure a multitude of related health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea. Our team is proud to provide this life-changing option.”
Laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery is minimally invasive, results in smaller scars, a quicker recovery time and fewer complications than open bypass procedures.
Long-term analysis reveals that gastric bypass yields durable weight loss in nearly 75 percent of patients, although success after gastric bypass is dependant on long-term behavioral and dietary modification – a component that the OCC integrates into its program to help patients achieve and maintain substantial weight loss. The OCC program achieves this by providing nutritional, medical, behavioral and exercise programs for patients to follow both before and after surgery.
The OCC also offers a variety of medical treatments for obesity, including behavioral therapy, dietary counseling, use of specialized diets such as very low calorie diets, weight loss medications and physical activity counseling.
Haitian Patient Undergoes Complex Surgery Thanks to Generosity of Others
Thanks to the St. Boniface Haiti Foundation, the Ray Tye Medical Aid Foundation and a team of Floating Hospital for Children ENT surgeons, 10-year-old Junior Jean Louis received surgical treatment for a rare disease known as plexiform neurofibroma last week.
The condition causes tumors to grow in the peripheral nerves and has left Junior with an enlarging tumor on his face and palate that has affected his physical appearance and eating.
“This surgery is the first of multiple procedures to address the impact of the tumor on Junior’s quality of life,” said Clark Elliott, MD, Chief of Pediatric
Otolaryngology. “It will involve removal of the tumor in his midface, which extends to the skull base, with a complex reconstruction. Junior will require follow up care for an extended period with speech and swallowing therapy as he continues to grow.”
Junior was flown to Boston from Haiti by the St. Boniface Haiti Foundation and is staying with Rita Russo, his host mother in Norwood during his treatment. The Ray Tye Medical Aid Foundation is covering Junior’s hospital expenses. The Floating ENT team who performed the procedure pro-bono includes Elliott along with colleagues Richard Wein, MD, Director of Head and Neck Surgery, and Arnold Lee, MD, Facial/Plastic Surgeon.
Ed Harding from WCVB-TV, Channel 5 covered Junior’s story in a First on Five exclusive last week. It was a touching tribute that highlighted the great work happening at the Medical Center every day, the generosity of others who make it possible, and the incredible spirit of a young, brave boy.
“We formed the Rye Tye Medical Aid Foundation to help people who are in need of life-saving care,” said President A. Raymond Tye. “Today we are really making a difference. There is no price you can put on a life.”
The surgeons were also pleased to be able to help Junior. “This is a great opportunity to work in conjunction with the St. Boniface Foundation and the Ray Tye Medical Aid Foundation to give back in a unique fashion,” said Wein.
“In Junior, I see a beautiful young man with a lot of potential,” said Lee. “We hope these surgeries will allow him to live a fuller life.”
Not All Stem Cells are Created Equal
Diana Bianchi, MD, Stresses the Importance of Incorporating Pregnancy History When Evaluating Adult Stem Cells
In a commentary published in the April 5th edition of JAMA, researchers at Tufts Medical Center’s Floating Hospital for Children point out the vital importance of factoring in the origin of stem cells when conducting research. The current adult stem cell literature overlooks the importance and significance of reproductive history, when the stem cell donor or recipient is a woman. This is of particular note because the stem cells in mothers may have unique characteristics differentiating them from adult and embryonic stem cells. This could advance stem cell research by providing a means of accessing fetal cells with stem cell-like qualities by drawing blood from a woman.
“When women become mothers, our research has shown that fetal stem cells are left behind,” said Diana Bianchi, MD, a geneticist and Vice Chair of Research at Floating Hospital for Children. “Most stem cell researchers are not thinking about this. It is our hope that this commentary will prompt investigators to incorporate gender and factor complete reproductive histories into the interpretation of their findings.”
Bianchi and her colleagues reviewed the stem cell literature for the past six years and found 58 relevant articles, and interestingly of those, none incorporated the complete pregnancy history into the study design. This omits a key factor and indicates either a reluctance to incorporate pregnancy history into the study or a lack of understanding of its biological significance.
“Even though obtaining complete reproductive histories may be difficult,” said Bianchi. “It is particularly important in evaluating outcome in stem cell clinical trials to determine if there are biologically significant differences when the donor or recipient is a woman who has been pregnant. From our research we know not all stem cells are created equal.”
Boston Bruins Visit Floating Patients
Boston Bruins’ Patrice Bergeron, Jeff Hoggan and Brandon Bochenski took time out of their schedules to visit patients at the Floating Hospital for Children last week. They came to Ace’s Place bearing gifts and then went to the patient floors to sign autographs and sit with the young patients.
April’s Saltonstall Award Winner is Walter Hollop
Walter Hollop, Payroll Analyst, is this month’s recipient of the William Saltonstall Employee Excellence Award. He has worked at Tufts Medical Center for more than two years.
Payroll Manager Deb Prive says Hollop is a vital asset to the Medical Center and proved this particularly during the HR/Payroll conversion to Lawson/Kronos.
“Walter has been invaluable over the past 18 months while we implemented the new Lawson HR/PR and Kronos time entry systems,” Prive said. “He juggled multiple responsibilities during this complex transition and assisted with the testing and training of payroll staff and more than 100 timekeepers. We would not have been able to ‘go live’ without him.”
“If you ever have a question about payroll, Walter is the person to call,” said Alyson Landry, Finance Systems Training and Support Specialist. “Walter is willing to go above and beyond to help people, making him a star employee.”
Several staff members across all areas of the Medical Center describe Walter as their “go to guy” in the Payroll Department. “Walter handles problems with a smile and is a true model of the hospital’s customer service initiative,” says Margie Curran, HR Representative.
The Saltonstall Award honors employees who exhibit the highest standards of service and performance in their work and their interactions with staff members, patients and visitors. To nominate an employee for this award, contact Yolanda Rosero at ext. 5669 for more information.
Department of Otolaryngology to Offer Free Cancer Screenings
Tufts Medical Center’s Department of Otolaryngology has joined forces with the Massachusetts Society of Otolaryngology to sponsor a free oral, head and neck cancer screening. The screenings will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis on Tuesday, April 17 from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Otolaryngology clinic located on South 1.
Elie Rebeiz, MD; Richard Wein, MD; Arnold Lee, MD and Nurse Practitioner Rachael McQuillan will be available for consultations. To schedule an appointment, contact Evelin Shepherd at 617-636-8711.
Tufts Medical Center Hosts Pfizer Visiting Professor April 10 to 12
Tufts Medical Center’s Division of Hematology/Oncology will host Pfizer visiting professor Lisa DeAngelis, MD, Chair of Neurology and Neuro-Oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, from Tuesday, April 10 through Thursday, April 12.
DeAngelis will give several lectures during her visit. Tuesday, April 10, from 1 to 2 p.m., she will present “Update on Primary CNS Lymphomas,” at the Lymphoma Conference, in the Grossman Conference Room, North 7.
She will present “Update on Management of CNS Metastasis” at the Bone Marrow Transplant Conference, in the Grossman Conference Room, North 7 on Wednesday, April 11, from 8 to 9 a.m., and on Thursday, April 12, from 9 to 10 a.m., she will present an “Update on Management of Gliomas,” during Tufts Medical Center’s Neurosciences Grand Rounds in the Wolff Auditorium.
“Dr. DeAngelis is a pre-eminent brain tumor specialist,” said Julian Wu, MD, Tufts Medical Center’s Director of Neurosurgical Oncology. “It is a tremendous honor for us to have her here as the Pfizer visiting professor.”
Tufts Medical Center Celebrates National Occupational Therapy Month
In celebration of Occupational Therapy Month, Tufts Medical Center’s Department of Occupational Therapy will host an informational session about work station ergonomics in the Atrium on Thursday, April 26 from noon to 2 p.m.
Tufts Medical Center’s team of licensed, professional occupational therapists specialize in treating clients’ specific needs. Occupational therapists help to rehabilitate individuals with a decline in function and performance in areas of self-care, functional mobility, independent living skills, cognitive and social skills and/or difficulty achieving developmental milestones. For more information, call 617-636-5632.