Supraglottoplasty for Neonatal Laryngomalacia
Kevin and Karla Urrutia were born at term, but as twins they were both underweight – the boy weighing in at 4 pounds 10 ounces and the girl at 4 pounds 15 ounces. “Karla was eating fine after birth, but…
A Drug-eluting Stent Offers a Young Man a Small-but-Mighty Solution to a Chronic Problem
After suffering for years from severe allergic fungal rhinosinusitis, Wynard De’kavon Crawford found relief through a minimally invasive office procedure: the placement of a tiny PROPEL® mini dissolvable implant into each of his ethmoid sinuses. Physicians at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical…
The Petty Case: Setting a Good Course Through the Perfect Storm of Allergens
Richard Petty doesn’t normally write laudatory letters about his physicians, but after treatment for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), he sat down and penned one to Giuseppe Colasurdo, MD, president of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and then…
A Novel Lymphatic Imaging System and a Disease-focused Treatment Team Improve Survivorship in Head and Neck Cancer
Oropharyngeal cancers are still relatively uncommon, but those associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) are on the rise. Kelly Jones presented as a typical case in this relatively new category of oropharyngeal cancer patient: a 43-year-old non-smoker with previously undiagnosed HPV…
Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis: A Patient Benefits from Multidisciplinary Care
Signs and symptoms of the rare autoimmune disorder called granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), formerly known as Wegener’s granulomatosis, may develop suddenly or emerge over a period of months. In the case of Gary Giles, they developed so abruptly that he…
ECMO Improves Care for a Critical Tracheostomy Patient
After a suffering a stroke in late January 2015, 54-year-old Dale Gobert was taken to Baptist Hospital in Beaumont, Texas, where he required prolonged mechanical ventilation (and thus prolonged intubation) as part of his care. A month later, he was…
With a Bone-anchored Hearing Aid, One Good Ear Helps the Other
In early June 2014, Steve Blatt was riding his motorcycle to work along the same route he’d used for nearly 40 years. It was raining, and when his front tire hit an uneven spot in the road, his bike slid…
Rapid Response and Multidisciplinary Teamwork Save a Young Man’s Life
A gunshot wound to the face – a random act of violence in Beaumont, Texas – forever changed the life of 21-year-old Adair Stephens. The shooting occurred late in the afternoon on a Saturday in September 2013. After being rushed…
Surgeon-performed Ultrasound Provides X-Marks-the-Spot Accuracy for Parathyroid Adenoma
A good surgeon’s eye, ultrasound performed in the office and OR, and the availability of an experienced multidisciplinary team turned life around for Mary Fitts, whose past had been a series of doctor visits and undiagnosed ailments dating back to…
The Watson Case: An “Impossible” Surgery Makes a Night-and-Day Difference for a Patient with Proteus Syndrome
By the time 39-year-old Ricky Watson saw Amber U. Luong, MD, PhD, he could no longer swallow, eat or talk. His only avenue of communication with his family was writing on a notepad or texting via cell phone. Diagnosed at…