Krishna is a 22-month-old beauty with big, expressive eyes. Her family lives only a few kilometers away from the hospital where her father works as a motorcycle mechanic. Krishna is their only child.
They heard about Rotaplast from a friend who had seen the advertisement. Mom and dad commented that they are feeling really good about the outcome of the surgery and thank Rotaplast for their good service.
One of the hallmarks of a Rotaplast mission is the collaboration and continuing education among the medical professionals. With decades of experience to share, they work together to provide the optimum outcome for each patient. When unique and rare malformations present, the learning continues.
Here, team medical director Dr. Dennis Dundas explains to surgeon Dr. Gagan Sabharwal and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Nan Madden how he reconstructed a portion of the patient’s nose.
Another educational opportunity is the inclusion of medical residents on the team. Dr. Mary Lyn Stein is seen here working with lead anesthesiologist Dr. Fred Mihm. He is ICU Director and professor of anesthesia at Stanford. This is Dr. Stein’s first mission and she shares these observations…
Hi! My name is Mary Lyn. I’m thrilled to be a part of this mission as one of three anesthesiologist. I have done 4 years of training in pediatrics and anesthesiology since graduating from medical school, and at home in California I am a resident physician in both pediatrics and anesthesiology.
My role on this mission is to provide anesthesia to the patients undergoing surgery. In addition to ensuring that the patients are safe and comfortable during the procedure, I am involved in their preoperative evaluation and their postoperative care along with the rest of our fantastic team.
One of the most striking features of working here has been the trust that the patients and their families place in us. When it is time for each child’s operation, he or she, along with a few family members, is brought to a preoperative holding area where we do one last check that we have the correct patient and surgery and that the patient is ready to proceed.
Then one of my colleagues or I take the child from her family and carry her into the operating theater (OT). The families encourage their children along, never once expressing fear or anxiety about the procedure. Many of the children will walk or be carried happily into the OT and arrange themselves helpfully on the surgical bed – and this is without any sort of medication to ease the fears that are natural in this sort of setting!
To me this signifies an incredible amount of trust in us and in our work! I am grateful for the opportunity to serve these families and we are working hard to earn the trust that they place in us.
Mary Lyn Stein, MD, Anesthesiologist