Samitivej Hospital’s Newborn and Pediatric Surgery Center Review
Samitivej Hospital know that every child is a gift of nature, a priceless treasure borne out of love, and treasured as such. A parent’s natural instinct is to nurture and protect their offspring, instinctive and taught practices combine to raise fine, fit and healthy children.
The ancient Greek words pais, meaning child, and iatros, meaning doctor or healer, are the origins of the modern term ‘pediatrics’, the word that, today, medical science uses to refer to the specific area of children’s health care. Pediatrics is a complex, multi-faceted area of medicine that requires practitioners to acquire specialist skills and knowledge.
Sadly, for some parents, the health and wellbeing of a child can be challenged in a way that is beyond normal parental capabilities. There are many diseases and other health issues which can ail a child, both hereditary and acquired. When such situations occur, parents seek help from those with greater, specialist knowledge within the sphere of child health care, pediatricians.
Many of the health issues faced by newborns and children can be addressed with physical therapy and, or, medication. A multitude of diseases and abnormalities can be combated through these treatment methods. Equally, there are those health issues that can only be cured or alleviated by surgery.
Meet the Surgical Team
The importance of pediatric surgery can, and never should, be understated. It is with this in mind that Samitivej Hospital established its dedicated Newborn and Pediatric Surgery Center. This unique facility is staffed by professionals with unrivaled skills and expertise who are backed up by dedicated multi-skilled and multi-lingual support staff.
Samitivej Hospital has assembled a world leading team of professionals to head up its Newborn and Pediatric Surgery Center. These leaders in the field include: Associate professor Akkarapol Mungnirandr, M.D. Assist. Professor Niramol Tontemsapya, M. D. Lanton Tonvichen, M.D. Collasak Thirapattaphan, M.D. Kulsiri Tiansri M.D. This enviable team of surgeons cover all aspects of pediatric surgery in addition to the pre and post-surgical care.
Surgical Techniques at the Newborn and Pediatric Surgery Center
The surgical team at Samitivej Hospital’s Newborn and Pediatric Surgery Center operate from modern high tech surgical suites furnished with the very best surgical equipment. They utilize the most up to date techniques and procedures with most procedures now being conducted by using minimally invasive surgical techniques. This is often referred to as laparoscopic surgery and uses micro cameras and instruments of just a few millimeters in size.
Unlike open surgery, where a long incision through the skin would be made, minimally invasive surgery is undertaken with nothing more than 2 to 5 very small incisions being made. These incisions would normally be between 2 and 5 millimeters in length. The size on the incisions is directly proportionate to the size of the micro surgical instruments and cameras being utilized by the surgeon.
There are more than a dozen procedures that are now carried out with minimal invasive surgery as a matter of routine, they include: Appendectomy, splenectomy, cholecystectomy, diaphragmatic and abdominal wall hernia repair, small bowel resection, tumor removal, cholecystectomy, fundoplication, and thoracic surgery. These are just some of the surgical techniques that can now be carried out via minimally invasive surgery.
With minimally invasive surgery on infants and children the advantages are multi-fold including far less trauma to the patient, which also decreases parental stress and anxiety. Other benefits include:
Procedural safety. With very small incisions the risk of blood loss is vastly reduced, this also reduces the risk of post-operative infections.
Rapid recovery time. With conventional surgery a patient may take 6 to 8 weeks to fully recover from the procedure. With minimal invasive surgery the recovery time would normally be 2 to 3 days.
Shorter hospital stays. With a greatly improved recovery time, it means that the patient’s stay in hospital is minimalized. Of course this frees up facilities, but it also means that the patient is able to return to their own familiar surroundings of home. This aids the patient’s contentment post-surgery, helping to reduce stress and anxiety.
Reduced surgical scarring. Many young people, as they grow up and go through life, can be very self-conscious of their appearance. The large, obvious scarring from conventional surgery can lead to a heightened level self-consciousness which can inhibit self-confidence and self-esteem. Minimal invasive surgery reduces the scarring to such a level that, in many cases, it goes unnoticed.
None of these advantages are lost on the skilled professionals at Samitivej Hospital’s Newborn and Pediatric Surgery Center. Their thoughts of care go further than curing and alleviating health issues at the point of surgery, pre and post-surgical care are of equal importance.
Utilizing and pushing the boundaries of minimal invasive surgery, are important factors in a patients post-operative wellbeing. Additionally, the Newborn and Pediatric Surgery Center professionals are equally aware of the importance of a patient’s peripheral awareness and its importance in patient wellbeing.
At Samitivej Hospital’s Newborn and Pediatric Surgery Center awareness of the stress and anxiety that can be experienced by patients, and the parents of the young, by such an establishment. With this in mind, the center has been designed to create a relaxed stress free environment for all concerned. Reducing stress and anxiety is seen as an important part of patient care.
They also realize the benefits of patient understanding. Patients are kept fully informed of their health issues, care plans and the procedures that are proposed. This is done in an easy to understand, non-technical manner to ensure patient and parent understanding. In addition, the surgical and support staff are multi-lingual and, in the unlikely event of there being no common language between staff and patients or parents, interpreters are at hand to ensure complete understanding.
Another important part of Samitivej Hospital’s Newborn and Pediatric Surgery Center post and pre-surgical care is that of hygiene. The center conducts its ‘Real Clean Means’ regime which is a strict procedure of cleaning and decontamination of areas within the center.
Under the Real Clean Means regime patients with respiratory complaints are isolated from other patients. Following every medical test, the medical staff routinely wash their hands and all test equipment is disinfected. Examination rooms are cleaned and disinfected after every examination.
Samitivej Hospital’s Newborn and Pediatric Surgery Center is a world leader in the field and puts equal importance on every aspect of caring for newborns and children. With something a precious as a child, uncompromised medical care is never in doubt with Samitivej Hospital’s pediatric professionals.
