Blás is a Champion When it Comes to Bowel Management
Beth and Julian were excited to bring home their healthy baby boy, Blás, until their world came to a halt. Blás stopped eating a few hours after birth. His stomach became rock hard, and he spit up an alarming amount requiring his nurses to suction his stomach.
“Everything happened so quickly,” according to Julian. The doctors at the hospital where Beth gave birth told her, “We think we know what the problem is, but he’s going to have to go to Lurie Children’s.” So, the waiting game began. All Beth could think is, “What are we going to do?”
The Diagnosis and Surgery: Days After Birth
A high pressure distal colostogram such as this, helps the clinical team define the anatomy and identify the location of the distal rectum in patients with an anorectal malformation. This helps them better plan the operation.
Coming to terms with all of this information, Beth and Julian felt overwhelmed, “Blás was only 24 hours old,” Julian said. “It was a whirlwind of emotions.”
After being diagnosed, pediatric surgeon Julia Grabowski, MD performed an operation to create a colostomy. A few months later, Dr. Grabowski did the pull-through procedure that created his neo-anus. Once he had recovered from that procedure, the stoma was able to be closed and Blás is now able to stool through his new anal opening. “After five months, the stoma was gone and Blás is now healthy and thriving,” said Dr. Grabowski.
A Thriving Blás
Through the bowel management program and the Colorectal Center, Blas and his parents have the skills they need to handle his bowel habits through regulated diets, medications, and more.
By working with Dr. Grabowski, who now leads the Lurie Children’s Colorectal Center with Alison Osborne, APRN and Taylor Sepuha, BSN, RN, Julian and Beth know Blás is in good hands. Through the bowel management program at the Colorectal Center, Blás and his parents have the skills they need to handle his bowel habits through regulated diets, medications, and more.
So far, Beth feels, “It’s really nothing different. He doesn’t really have a strict diet, but my concern is what he can and can’t eat.” This is where Dr. Grabowski’s expertise comes in handy. The Lagunas family isn’t going to let Blás’s diet restrictions take control of their lives. Beth’s hope is, “Maybe we will become a more healthy family as a whole.”
As for bowel management, Beth and Julian are confident in Dr. Grabowski’s ability to answer any and all questions when the time comes for toilet training Blás. “I know I will have so many questions once we get to that stage,” said Beth.
Future Care
“I’ll be following him for the rest of his life,” said Dr. Grabowski. This is common for those who are treated in our Colorectal Center to ensure they continue living a healthy lifestyle, so their life can remain as easy and manageable as possible for years to come.
The Colorectal Health Institute for Pediatrics (CHIPs) clinic, is a multidisciplinary clinic led by specialists from both pediatric surgery and gastroenterology.
Many patients also benefit from the Colorectal Health Institute for Pediatrics (CHIPs) clinic. This multidisciplinary clinic is led by specialists from both pediatric surgery and gastroenterology. The team includes gastroenterologist John Fortunato, MD, Julie Shotwell, APRN and Laura Fountain, APRN, as well as the surgical team from the Colorectal Center. In addition, it also features a social worker and a dietician, and a Spanish interpreter is always available. This extended care referral-based-program is unique within the region and provides our patients with a broader spectrum of care and expertise.
Dr. Julia Grabowski leads Lurie Children’s Colorectal Center.
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