The division of Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, cares for more than 49,000 patients with bone, joint, muscle ligament, and nerve disorders every year. In this episode, you will hear from three pediatric orthopedic specialists at Lurie Children's, Drs. Cynthia LaBella, Neeraj Patel, and Jill Larson, who are spearheading research to uncover and address inequities, improve treatment options and offer better access to care for all children who need it. 

A cutting edge robotic surgery program at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago is helping surgeons perform intricate operations on children as young as two weeks old with unparalleled precision and control. Lurie Children's is one of the few free-standing pediatric hospitals in the world to offer this type of minimally invasive surgical option for children. In this episode, two Lurie Children’s surgeons detail how robotic surgery is a gamechanger for the field of surgery and young patients. Timothy Lautz, MD, is an expert in pediatric general surgery and surgical oncology and Bruce Lindgren, MD, is a renowned specialist in pediatric urology. 

In this episode, Dr. Thomas Inge discusses his journey as a pioneer of pediatric bariatric surgery, which includes a more than 20-year commitment to providing surgical care for severely obese teenagers. He explains his long-term research project that has shown how bariatric surgery can improve the quality of life for young patients. He also details his vision of the department of surgery which is aligned with the hospital’s commitment to CARE: Clinical Excellence, Advocacy, Research and Education.

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and Northwestern University are leading an innovative study to evaluate ways to improve recovery and outcomes in children undergoing elective gastrointestinal surgeries. Such protocols have been found to decrease hospital length of stay and lower costs and complications among adult surgical populations. But evidence for pediatric populations is lacking. This episode features Mehul Raval, MD, MS, FAAP, FACS, a pediatric surgeon and the principal investigator on a $3.5 million National Institutes of Health-funded ENRICH-US study (Enhanced Recovery In Children Undergoing Surgery). The study includes 18 U.S. pediatric hospitals around the country. Dr. Raval is an expert in general pediatrics surgery and surgical oncology at Lurie Children's and discusses the study as well as some of its preliminary findings.  

Advances in fetal imaging, genetic diagnosis and other innovations have made it possible to screen for congenital abnormalities early on in pregnancies. Such advances provide opportunities for specialists at The Chicago Institute for Fetal Health at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago to treat and sometimes cure a condition before birth. The Chicago Institute for Fetal Health performs more than 3,500 consultations each year on a wide range of fetal conditions. In this episode, Aimen Shaaban, MD, a fetal surgeon and director of The Chicago Institute talks about the breadth of services available, from pre-birth counseling to complex fetal surgeries.  

Surgical innovations are changing the field of neurosurgery and improving the lives of children with conditions such as epilepsy at Lurie Children's. Sandi Lam, MD, a pediatric neurosurgeon at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, is a leading specialist in the areas of minimally invasive epilepsy surgery and neurovascular surgery, and is known for discovering curative treatments for life-threatening neurological disorders. In this episode, she shares her expertise in minimally invasive and endoscopic techniques and how her research is transforming pediatric epilepsy care.

It's estimated that nearly 4 million surgeries are performed on children each year in the U.S. But no matter how complex or routine these surgical procedures may seem, none are simple, and the skill of a surgeon is always a key component of its success. On this episode of Precision, Earl Chang, MD, explains the benefits of seeking out highly trained pediatric surgeons and specialized providers, like those at Lurie Children's.

Take a look inside the operating room at one of the nation's premier children's hospitals. Lurie Children's pediatric surgeons discuss in detail some of the life-saving procedures they perform, how their research is advancing pediatric medicine, and what drives them to be the best.