Surgery Medical Education Videos

A smartphone app to increase immunizations in the pediatric solid organ transplant population

Survival after a pediatric solid organ transplant is excellent, but children who receive transplants are at a lifetime risk for infections as a result of immune-suppressing medications. One in six transplant recipients is hospitalized within the first five years with a vaccine-preventable infection –– leading to increased morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs.

In this video, Amy Feldman, MD, discusses the importance of vaccines for transplant candidates and recipients and introduces a new smartphone app, Immunize Pediatric Transplant. The app reminds families and providers when vaccinations are overdue and provides education about infections and vaccine safety and efficacy. Dr. Feldman also explores five common barriers to pre-transplant immunization that contribute to lower vaccine rates among pediatric liver transplant patients.

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is a protocol first developed in the late 90s designed to help address changes in the body that occur from surgery. At Children’s Colorado, we have been studying ERAS protocols in order to develop care pathways for children receiving surgical care. We have found changes to care can be quite minimal and straightforward, and we continue to research how to improve patient outcomes.

In this video, pediatric urologist Kyle Rove, MD, discusses the results of his study, “Enhanced Recovery After Surgery and Anesthetic Outcomes in Pediatric Reconstructive Urologic Surgery.” With the initial results, he discusses how it has had a significant impact on the length of stay and complications, and he encourages providers to apply the protocols to more patients undergoing surgery. His work has reaffirmed the original findings of an ERAS protocol, and we continue to apply ERAS recommendations and study it further.

People with diabetes experience varying levels of blood sugar, which can then affect neuropathy, circulation and inflammation. These all play a vital part in how long it takes for a wound to heal. Patients with diabetes are prone to suffer from wounds that take longer to heal than patients without diabetes, often leading to serious complications like infection and even amputation.

In this video, Carlos Zgheib, PhD, discusses his research using nanotechnology and biomaterials for diabetic foot ulcers. Collaborating with a host of schools and programs, Dr. Zgheib is exploring ways to treat inflammation and oxidative stress synergistically, so both can be treated at the same time. Watch to learn more about Dr. Zgheib’s research on nanotechnology and biomaterials in diabetic wound healing.

Early in his research, Ken Liechty, MD, former Director of Pediatric Surgery Basic and Translational Research at Children’s Colorado, discovered that fetuses regenerate tissue without scarring. Upon further investigation, he discovered that in addition to being able to regeneratively heal skin, they can also regenerate tendon and heart tissues without scarring.

In this video, Dr. Zgheib and Dr. Liechty discuss fetal tissue regeneration and its possible implications for stem cell diabetic wound healing in children and adults. Watch to learn how fetal tissue research may inform treatment for a range of complications such as wound healing in people with diabetes and colitis in children.

Known to many researchers and medical innovators as “Death Valley,” the stages between ideation and implementation for pharmaceutical development can be difficult to maneuver. Rigorous testing and strict FDA approvals often stop potential medical advances in their tracks.

In this video, Dr. Liechty talks about the advantages of partnering with the Innovation Center at CU Anschutz Medical Campus and the Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine to navigate some of the trickiest stages of drug development. From funding assistance and expertise in patent development to filing for patent protection and funding assistance for FDA applications, this innovative partnership is helping Dr. Liechty develop and test novel therapeutics to treat diabetic wounds and acute lung injury.