A medical first in Canada
Surgeons at The Montreal Children鈥檚 Hospital and 缅北强奸
University successfully remove a tumour from a baby鈥檚 face..鈥
through his scalp!
Surgeons at The Montreal Children鈥檚 Hospital of the 缅北强奸
University Health Centre and 缅北强奸 used a novel
approach for the first time in Canada to remove a tumour embedded
in the upper face of Jayden Cambridge, an 18-month old child. Using
a new endoscopic technique, the surgeons entered from the toddler鈥檚
scalp, above his hairline, to retrieve the tumour located in the
middle of his forehead. Thanks to this new procedure, the little
boy will be spared an unsightly scar, and instead has a tiny one
hidden by his hair.
This ground breaking surgery, which took place on August 27, 2009,
was performed by Dr. Nabil Fanous, Associate Professor of Facial
Plastic Surgery and Head and Neck Surgery at 缅北强奸 and
Universit茅 de Sherbrooke and by Dr. Sherif Emil, Director of the
Division of Pediatric General Surgery at The Montreal Children鈥檚
Hospital and Associate Professor of Surgery at 缅北强奸.
The surgery proved more complicated than anticipated. After the
endoscope and attached camera were introduced inside the upper
face, the tumour was nowhere to be found! To locate it, the lead
surgeon Dr. Fanous had to probe the forehead using special
instruments. As it turned out, the tumour was hidden under a bony
shell that had grown over it. The shell was thin in the middle,
much like an egg, but thicker on the sides. Dr. Fanous had to
delicately pierce the shell to excise the tumour, and then pull it
out via the tunnel leading to the child鈥檚 scalp.
The tumour was the size of a large blueberry (it measured about one
by one centimeter) and was sitting in a deep bony crater that
looked on the computer screen a bit like a small volcano. Dr.
Fanous smoothed down the contours of the crater and filled the
indentation with bone wax to make sure Jayden鈥檚 brow would be
perfectly smooth. The Montreal Children鈥檚 Hospital believes this is
the first time an endoscopic procedure has been used in Canada to
remove a facial mass on a child鈥檚 face through a tiny scalp
incision. As well, this is the first reported case of such a tumour
being covered by bone.
The child was discharged about an hour after surgery. He has
recovered rapidly and fully since.
鈥淲e were extremely surprised to learn the tumour was covered by
bone,鈥 says Dr. Fanous. 鈥淒espite this hurdle, the surgery went
extremely well. This type of surgery requires a relatively simple
technique, but the surgeon has to be careful because the face
contains a dense 鈥榝orest鈥 of nerves, muscles and vessels. The
surgeon has to 鈥榥avigate鈥 around all of these elements to get from
point A to point B. If the surgeon inadvertently damages one of the
important nerves or muscles, he risks permanently affecting or even
paralyzing the child鈥檚 upper face.鈥
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
Dr. Sherif Emil was the first surgeon to examine Jayden in late
2008. He determined the toddler had a congenital tumour, possibly
of the type called 鈥榙ermoid cyst鈥. While this type of tumour is
benign, it has to be removed because it may grow as the child ages
and could rupture, causing serious infection and scarring.
Traditionally, these types of tumours are removed by simply cutting
through the skin and muscle directly over the tumour. However, this
technique leaves a scar, one that Dr. Emil wanted to avoid at all
costs since it would be in the centre of Jayden鈥檚 forehead. Also,
the scar would have gotten larger as Jayden got older, especially
since the little boy has dark skin. People with dark skin are known
to have much higher risk of scarring. Thanks to the use of this new
endoscopic technique, Jayden will be spared an unsightly scar.
Instead, he has a tiny scar hidden by his hair.
鈥淚 had read about the endoscopic excision of benign forehead masses
in the Journal of Pediatric Surgery. Pediatric surgeons at Stanford
University had used the technique,鈥 says Dr. Emil. 鈥淚 knew right
away Jayden was a perfect candidate for this procedure. I wanted to
do everything possible to prevent the child from having a scar in
the middle of his forehead.鈥
Because this technique had never been used in Canada to remove a
facial mass, Dr. Emil began to search for a surgeon with enough
experience to attempt it. He finally reached Dr. Fanous, a renowned
facial plastic surgeon. While Dr. Fanous had never performed this
surgery on a child, he had done it hundreds of times on adults
during facelift surgery. He readily agreed to perform the surgery
and to provide the necessary equipment to The Montreal Children鈥檚
Hospital.
It took eight months from the first time Jayden was seen by Dr.
Emil until the day of his surgery. During the surgery, the
anesthesia team headed by Dr. Pierre Fiset, Director of Pediatric
Anesthesia, secured the child鈥檚 safety. A number of surgeons and
surgical trainees filled the operating room in order to witness
this ground-breaking procedure. The nursing staff prepared
tirelessly for the operation, assuring a calm and safe environment
for the patient.
鈥淲e had complete confidence in both Drs. Emil and Fanous,鈥 says Ron
Cambridge, Jayden鈥檚 dad. 鈥淲e also appreciate the fact that Dr. Emil
went to all of the trouble to make sure my son wouldn鈥檛 have to
live with an ugly scar on his face. I really feel he went the extra
distance and, for this, my wife and I are very grateful.鈥
鈥淛ayden is an example of the unique care that can be provided by
the Montreal Children鈥檚 Hospital and 缅北强奸,鈥 says Dr.
Emil. 鈥淢edical and surgical experts from diverse disciplines can
collaborate to provide the best care for life.鈥
For more information please contact:
Lisa Dutton
Manager Public Relations and Communications
The Montreal Children鈥檚 Hospital of the MUHC
514-412-4307
***You can download photos and videos of the surgery including
before and after photos of Jayden at: