Heart, Pediatric Services

Asymptomatic pediatric cardiomyopathy makes family history important

Pediatric cardiomyopathy is progressive and may be asymptomatic up to sudden death, making family history an important tool in deciding when to refer patients, according to a cardiologist at Norton Children’s Heart Institute, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine. Anyone who has a first-degree relative who was diagnosed with a cardiomyopathy or who had…

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Heart, Pediatric Services

Delwyn E. McOmber, M.D., joins Norton Children’s Heart Institute

Pediatric cardiologist Delwyn E. McOmber, M.D., has joined Norton Children’s Heart Institute, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine, as part of the Pediatric HeartCare Partners integration with Norton Children’s. In addition to practicing pediatric cardiology, Dr. McOmber also will serve as medical director of the Norton Children’s Medical Group pediatric exercise lab and University…

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Adult Services, Gastroenterology

Multidisciplinary gastroenterology clinic: Your one-stop-shop for upper digestive cancers

Upper gastrointestinal (GI) cancers affect the esophagus, stomach, liver, biliary tract and pancreas. Many patients require the care of several specialties for a specific condition at the same time. The coordination of care and time commitment of having multiple appointments can be difficult for some people to manage. Multiple specialists provide services at our multidisciplinary…

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Cancer, Hematology, Pediatric Services, Research

Reduced-toxicity myeloablative conditioning regimen effective against high-risk pediatric leukemias

A low-toxicity myeloablative conditioning regimen is safe and effective in treating high-risk leukemias, particularly myeloid disease, according to a study recently published in the journal Pediatric Blood & Cancer. Conventional myeloablative conditioning is effective at reducing the risk of a relapse in pediatric hematologic malignancy patients who are undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT)….

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Gastroenterology, Pediatric Services

When to refer a constipated child to a pediatric gastroenterologist

The following pediatric constipation referral guidelines and recommended outpatient treatments were developed by John T. Stutts, M.D., pediatric gastroenterologist at Norton Children’s Gastroenterology, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine. Dr. Stutts practices at the Novak Center for Children’s Health downtown and at Norton Medical Plaza II – Brownsboro on Norton Brownsboro Hospital/Norton Children’s Medical…

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Adult Services, MFM, NICU, Pediatric Services, Womens

Seamless transition between maternal-fetal medicine team and other specialists, including neonatology and others

When a pregnant patient is referred for maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) care at Norton Children’s, they step into a multidisciplinary team of specialists, including obstetricians with expertise in high-risk pregnancies and pediatric specialists who can help with any challenges the baby is facing. “We have numerous specialists that we rely on,” said Mureena Turnquest-Wells, M.D., a…

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Orthopedics, Pediatric Services

Common causes of pediatric back pain

Back pain occurs in about a third of patients at some point in their adolescence and is fairly common in children over the age of 10. Very rarely, however, is it the result of a structural issue such as a disc condition or nerve irritation, according to Joshua W. Meier, M.D, pediatric orthopedic surgeon with…

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Heart, Pediatric Services

Minimally invasive PDA repair allows faster extubation of micro-preemies

Until recently, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) repair in premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) required an involved surgical procedure. The surgeon would enter from the side, collapse the lung, find and ligate the vessels, reinflate the lung, and close. The patient usually required significant support for the next two to three days…

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Adult Services, Research, Spine

New guidelines for bone health assessment before elective spinal reconstruction

The Congress of Neurological Surgeons Systematic Review and Evidence-Based Guidelines for Perioperative Spine: Preoperative Osteoporosis Assessment recently was published in Neurosurgery. To develop these recommendations, the authors performed systematic review of the literature using national databases for studies relevant to preoperative diagnostic studies that predict increased risk of osteoporosis-related postoperative complications and whether the preoperative…

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Heart, Pediatric Services

Dysplastic pulmonary valve complicates HLHS palliation

The patient Newborn with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) with a dysplastic pulmonary valve and progressive pulmonary valve stenosis The challenge The dysplastic pulmonary valve makes it unsuitable to proceed with the typical first stage of single ventricle palliation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) — the Norwood procedure, which would transition the pulmonary valve…

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Adult Services, Womens

Planning for postpartum birth control shared decision-making with patients

Postpartum birth control conversations with patients are best started prepartum as a conversation about the desire for and timing of any future pregnancies, according to Kathryn R. Bradley, M.D., obstetrician and gynecologist with Women’s Care Physicians of Louisville, a Part of Norton Women’s Care. “The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) advises this is…

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