After Extensive Testing for Rare Disorders, An Adenoidectomy Provides a Cure
By the time Borris Akins’s mother found Zhen “Jane” Huang, MD, MBA, CPO, a pediatric otolaryngologist in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, Borris had seen specialists from A to Z for a range of symptoms that included chronic nasal drainage. At the age of 2, he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and underwent an extensive workup that included testing for cystic fibrosis and primary ciliary dyskinesia, a rare inherited disorder that affects the cilia of the respiratory system. The test results were inconclusive.
“We had seen every doctor we could think of – allergist, pulmonologist, endocrinologist, gastroenterologist – the list went on,” says Borris’ mother Sonja Akins. “I thought, ‘What in the world is going on with my child?’ I was driving in so many different directions to see so many different doctors that I felt like we were driving the planet. Borris was on antibiotics for a couple of weeks and then he would go off them and the mucus would return. I really wanted to understand this because I wanted my son to have the best quality of life. One day I realized that the only specialist we hadn’t seen was an ENT.”
Tomika Harris, DNP, a nurse practitioner at the UT Physicians High Risk Children’s Clinic, referred her to Dr. Huang, who practices at UT Physicians Otorhinolaryngology-Texas Medical Center. “At our first visit, his mucus was so thick and green that she couldn’t even see through the endoscope to examine him,” Akins says. “She said, ‘I know exactly what it is – a buildup of mucus on the adenoids and if a minor health issue sets it off, it worsens.”
With the consent of his mother, Dr. Huang scheduled Borris for an adenoidectomy in November 2023. “The fact that he has diabetes made him more prone to infections and also made it harder to clear them,” she says. “His mother had covered all the other bases, so this was the next logical step. Something as simple as an adenoidectomy can stop chronic nasal drainage in kids.”
“The surgery was life changing,” Akins says. “Because Borris has Type 1 diabetes, any inflammation impacts his blood sugar negatively. The adenoidectomy resolved that issue, with literally no downtime. He was up and moving around right after the surgery and able to eat. The number of regular visits I have with his pediatrician is significantly reduced, along with our trips to urgent care.
“I was very comfortable with Dr. Huang’s expertise,” she adds. “Before I could even say what worried me about the procedure, the surgery team had already taken care of it. She was on time for our office visits, which I appreciated because I work and have a busy schedule. I’m grateful for the opportunity to share our positive experience.”