N E W S F R O M T H E R E G I O N ’ S P R E M I E R A C A D E M I C M E D I C A L C E N T E R

ADVANCES FEBRUARY 11, 2016

CoreValveProgram Spotlight

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Hospital is one of few in U.S. able to perform surgery

Before he was even born, Gage Weber’s parents knew there would be trouble.

An in-utero MRI showed a fistula deep in his brain: A large vein had connected to arteries, bypassing capillaries and leading to a rare condition called a Vein of Galen malformation.

The problems can be many, especially for a newborn. Their tiny heart wears out quickly as it tries to pump enough blood through the fistula, starving other parts of the brain.

Gage’s parents, who live in Kansas City, were first seen at an-other area hospital. Surgeons told them the procedure needed to save Gage was too advanced. The specialists who could help are in Boston, California, Texas – and, it turns out, at The University of Kansas Hospital.

His mother, Kelly Phillips, remembers her sense of panic eas-ing when she met with surgeons at our hospital.

“All of a sudden there’s a team right here willing to take on the challenge,” she recalled. “They said, ‘We’ve got it. We can do it.’ It was literally the next day: Everything was set up and ready to go.”

Interventional radiologist Alan

Reeves, MD, and his team used a catheter threaded in the baby’s groin to insert 35 hair-thin metal coils into a blood vessel near Gage’s fistula.

They did it again the next day, inserting 35 more coils. The

procedure, called endovascular embolization, blocked much of the blood flow through the fistula, allowing the baby’s heart rate to ease from more than 200 beats per minute to 159, normal for a 3-week-old baby.

“It’s amazing,” said Reeves. “This is one of the most deeply gratifying things to see – a baby who would have died within days is now a healthy pink baby.”

Gage, who is Reeves’ youngest patient by far for this particular procedure, went home last week, barely a month after arriving here. The coils will stay in place, harmless, as other blood vessels grow to supply the brain.

Neonatologist Krishna Dummula, MD, said research on the condition is rare, but it indicates a baby with a successful procedure, like Gage’s, has a 60 percent chance of normal neuro-logic outcomes. Considering the alternative, he said, “that’s a huge percentage.”

Saving Gage: Rare procedure offers new hope

By the Numbers: United Way To suggest a By the Numbers, email Advances@kumc.edu.

The University of Kansas Health System and University of Kansas Medical Center hold their annual United Way cam-paign this month. This year’s theme: Love your Community, Support your United Way.

$1.07millionThe organizations’ United Way contributions over the past four years

This year’s goals: What does $1 million in United Way donations provide to Wyandotte County?

Alan Reeves, MD, led a team that per-formed two endovascular embolization procedures to save baby Gage.

$250,000in pledges

20%employee participation

8,000residents

received primary healthcare

13,000residents

received access to fresh produce,

exercise programs or nutrition education

26,000residents

received utility assistance or

transitional living services

Events The summer of 1938:

Desegregating medical school – As part of Black History Month, an exhibit in the Clendening History of Medicine Museum tells the story of Edward Williams’ struggle to become the first African American to complete his medical degree at the University of Kansas Medical Center. The museum is located on the first floor of Robinson Hall. The exhibit is available daily through Monday, Feb. 29.

Being mindful … of pain – Learn how the daily use of simple mindful techniques can decrease the intensity of chronic pain and its impact on your quality of life. The class, which helps you develop positive cop-ing tools based on your personal strengths, is 10-11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 18, at The University of Kansas Cancer Center-North. Call 913-574-0900 to register.

Kids, families and illness – How are your kids dealing with illness in your family? Participants (ages 4 through teenager) are placed in groups based on age, where they can express feelings and improve coping skills. They also meet kids in similar situations and have fun while learning. An adult group meets at the same time. The class is 6-7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Feb. 18-March 3, at Turning Point: The Center for Hope and Healing in Leawood. Call 913-574-0900 to register.

Basketball and breast can-cer – KU Athletics will donate $1 to Jayhawks for a Cure, which benefits The University of Kansas Cancer Center, for every person in attendance at the Kansas vs. Oklahoma women’s basketball game Saturday, Feb. 20, in Lawrence. Breast cancer survi-vors will be honored. Admission is $5 for any fan wearing pink. Buy tickets at kuathletics.com.

More events are at kumed.com/event-detail.

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT

A milestone for patients, heart careIt was five years ago this month

– Feb. 16 to be exact – that Agnes Pike blazed her name into the record books at The University of Kansas Hospital.

At age 82, she was the first patient in the area to undergo a CoreValve procedure, a revo-lutionary approach for treating failing aortic valves.

Interventional cardiologist Peter Tadros, MD, and cardio-thoracic surgeon Trip Zorn, MD, used a catheter to guide a prosthetic device to her heart. The device expanded and replaced the deteriorating aortic valve.

The minimally invasive procedure was part of a national clinical study involving 45 facili-ties. With Susie Page, RN, as its research coordinator here, the trial has been groundbreaking not only because it offers a lifesaving option for certain patients who have aortic stenosis, or AS. It also opened the door to newer genera-tions of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures.

In fact, since that February day in 2011, the hospital has performed more than 550 TAVR procedures on patients who have aortic stenosis. Like Pike, they

weren’t good candidates for open-heart surgery because of their age or other complications.

CoreValve was the best option. “It really is life-altering,” said Tadros. “When it’s successful, which is more than 95 percent of the time, it resets the patient’s life expectancy to the rest of the population their age.

“CoreValve has changed how we approach AS disease,” he added. “Ongoing studies, some right here at the hospital, are assessing use of the procedure for intermediate and low-risk patients.”

The study continues to show

more patients are alive one year after receiving the device than those who undergo open-heart surgery. It also shows the pros-thetic functions better than surgi-cal valve replacement, and the procedure is more cost-effective.

For Pike, now 87 and still in good health, the five-year anniversary of her pioneering procedure also means she can exit the national study. Nurses will greet her with balloons and cake during her final checkup this week. It’s a fitting ceremony for February, which happens to be National Heart Month.

The hospital’s CoreValve team includes interventional cardiologist Peter Tadros, MD (left), research coordinator Susie Page, RN, and cardiothoracic surgeon Trip Zorn, MD.

EXPOSURE

Swing analysis At the Kansas City Royals FanFest last month, a new K-Vest biomechanical analysis machine attracted young ath-letes to The University of Kansas Hospital’s booth. The device features 3D motion analysis without wires, allowing caregiv-ers to analyze three different body parts independently during a swing or other move-ment. The vest is now in use at the hospital’s Sports Medicine & Performance Center.

Agnes Pike

Exploring WWI’s impact on nursingA program this month examines the experiences of World

War I nurses and the war’s lasting effects on the profession. The program includes a symposium Saturday, Feb. 20, and

an art exhibit through March 6 at the National World War I Museum in Kansas City. Both are free and open to the public.

The program is a partnership between the museum, the University of Kansas School of Nursing and the University of Kansas Medical Center’s History and Philosophy of Medicine.

Interest in the symposium is high. There is a waitlist to attend, with more than 400 people registering within a few days of its announcement; the event may expand into a morning session and an afternoon session. It will also be live tweeted on the medi-cal center’s Twitter account and live streamed on the World War I museum’s YouTube channel. Go to nursing/kumc.edu for details.

The keen interest in the symposium illustrates WWI’s signifi-cance for the nursing profession. The U.S. Army’s Nursing Corps swelled from 400 in 1917 to more than 21,000 nurses by the end of the war in 1918.

“It was the first time the United States mobilized women,” said Moya Peterson, PhD, RN, clinical associate professor at the School of Nursing and a member of the symposium’s planning committee. “The experience was unlike anything nurses had ever seen.”

Family care joins Sprint Center clinic The University of Kansas Hospital’s Sprint Center Urgent

Care has expanded to include primary care services.With last month’s addition, the clinic changed its name to

Sprint Center Health Care. Walk-in urgent care is still offered, and hours remain the same: 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. The new primary care will treat patients 6 months and older.

Medical providers at Sprint Center include Maiko Ebersole Robinson, MD; Allison Lyles, APRN; and Elisa Van Daalen, APRN.

The clinic opened March 2015, the first urgent care service in Kansas City’s downtown loop.

Top cancer centers urge action on HPVSixty-nine of the nation’s National Cancer Institute-

designated cancer centers, including The University of Kansas Cancer Center, have issued a call for action to increase the nation’s HPV vaccination rates. 

Approximately 79 million Americans are infected with HPV, a leading cause of cervical cancer in women and head and neck cancers in men and women.

Nationwide, 60 percent of girls and 40 percent of boys have received at least one dose of the HPV vaccine. (Three doses are recommended.) Kansas has the lowest HPV vaccination rate in the nation, with just 40 percent of girls and 25 percent of boys receiving the vaccination.

New

s Br

iefsIn the News

A recap of recent articles, TV segments and other media coverage of the region’s leading academic medical center

Zika response fueled by Ebola lessons – Modern Healthcare, Feb. 4. After being criticized for its response to Ebola, the global health community is drawing mostly praise for its aggressive approach to Zika. Some infectious disease experts, however, wonder if the intense public scrutiny of Zika could divert resources from broader work. “The dollars and people devoted to preventions and cures are not infinite, so therefore it’s a matter of robbing Peter to pay Paul,” said Lee Norman, MD, chief medical officer at The University of Kansas Hospital.

Rare birth defect more common – KMBC-TV, Feb. 3. Gastroschisis, in which children are born with their intestines outside the abdomen, is becoming more common. Once considered rare, the condition has doubled in a 15-year period. “We don’t know what causes it,” said Kurt Schropp, MD, pediatric surgeon at The University of Kansas Hospital. “There are some theories that something in the environment is causing it because the instances have really gone up.” Most cases are treatable with surgery, but it can be life-threatening. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is pushing for more research.

Expanding Cambridge North Tower – The Kansas City Business Journal, Jan. 25. Four floors will be added to the seven originally planned at The University of Kansas Hospital’s Cambridge North Tower. “Our patient vol-ume has been so strong the new building will be full as soon as it opens in 2017,” said Bob Page, president and CEO. “So we are going to keep the construction crane on site after the building opens and continue building the four additional floors.”

New tests for concussions – The Kansas City Star, Jan. 25. The Center for Concussion Management at The University of Kansas Hospital is working to change the way concussions are treated. Several protocols are being tested, and physicians see even newer therapies. “In the future there will be a blood test,” said Michael Moncure, MD, director of the center. “It still needs to be studied more, but doctors would look for elevated proteins in the blood. If protein levels were too high that would be a sign a patient was not ready to resume normal activities. I am hoping we (have that available) in the next couple of years.”

More nurses to support expanding patient careThe University of Kansas Hospital continues to grow. In an effort to hire more RNs and LPNs, the hospital on Jan. 28 hosted a career-style Clinical

Nurse Entry reception on the main campus. Staff from a variety of nurs-ing units, such as neurology and cancer care, met with dozens of area students who will gradu-ate from nursing schools this spring.

ADVANCES

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Bob Page, President and CEO The University of Kansas Hospital

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Our People Shining the spotlight on patients with MPN – Congratulations to

Becca Claassen, BSN, who has been named an MPN Hero.Claassen, unit educator at The University of Kansas Cancer Center-

Westwood, specializing in medical oncology and hematology treatment, is one of seven nationwide recipients of the annual award. She was honored in the Commitment to the Individual category.

The award is from the Voices of MPN organization. Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are rare blood cancers in which a person’s bone marrow

does not function properly. They include polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythe-mia and myelofibrosis. Approximately 200,000 Americans have MPN.

Claassen has dem-onstrated outstanding support for patients with MPNs, according to the organization:

“As a dedicated unit educator, Becca has brought a greater understanding of MPNs to the nursing staff. Her fervent advocacy and teaching about MPNs has gone beyond mere communication. Her efforts have helped colleagues make a positive impact on the quality of care for patients with MPNs.”

In caring for patients, the association added, Claassen provides meaning-ful guidance about financial assistance, clinical trials, treatment options and support avenues to help them overcome daily challenges.

You can watch a video about her at voicesofmpn.com. She is the second representative from our cancer center to win the award; Abdulraheem Yacoub, MD, was named an MPN Hero in 2013 based on his research advancements.

KC PR officer – Jean Peat, communications manager for The University of Kansas Cancer Center, has been named president-elect for the Greater Kansas City Public Relations Society of America. She is one of just 50 area communica-tions professionals to have earned national accreditation in public relations and has received more than 25 Prism awards from the Greater Kansas City PRSA for her work.

Research summit with lawmakers – Five students from the University of Kansas Medical Center traveled to the Kansas capitol Feb. 2 to demonstrate the value of their research in medicine and science.

The presentations were part of the 13th annual Capitol Graduate Research Summit. The event, which was open to state lawmakers and the public, is designed to raise awareness of graduate students’ research.

In addition to students from our medical center, the summit featured graduate students from KU in Lawrence, Fort Hays State University, Kansas

State University, Pittsburg State University and Wichita State University.

“The graduate students at KU are doing amazing work to enhance our understanding of the world; they contribute as they learn,” said Michael Roberts, KU dean of graduate studies.

The five students from our medical center, area of study and titles of their research projects:• Naomi Butler-Tjaden, medical student and doctoral student in anatomy

and cell biology – “Vitamin A Metabolism Is Required for Vagal Neural Crest Cell Colonization of the Gastrointestinal Tract in the Pathogenesis of Hirschsprung Disease.”

• Aryn Kamerer, doctoral student in audiology – “Beyond the Audiogram: Locating Regions of Outer Hair Cell Loss in the Inner Ear.”

• Michelle McWilliams, doctoral student in molecular and integrative physi-ology – “A Novel Cellular Pathway in the Pathogenesis of Uterine Fibroids.”

• Peter Taulbee, doctoral student in nursing practice – “Knowledge and Perceptions Among Psychiatric Mental Health Advanced Practice Registered Nurses Regarding the Use of Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Major Depressive Disorder.”

• Alex Wendling, medical student – “Utilizing Mix Technique and Low Frequency Ultrasound to Control the Elution Profile of Vancomycin-Loaded Acrylic Bone Cement.”

Be there for the moments that matter.Improve your heart health today.

• Eat healthy • Exercise • Don’t smoke

Because life goes by in a heartbeat.

Take a quick quiz to determine your heart health now. Visit kumed.com/heartquiz.

Aryn Kamerer, audiology doctoral student, discusses her research about outer hair cell loss in the inner ear.

Peat

Claassen