Harry's world was turned upside down when a severe abdominal pain landed him in the emergency room. His parents were stunned to learn he had a large mass covering nearly 80 percent of his pancreas.
Harry's family was connected to Nicklaus Children's Hospital's pediatric surgery team for emergency surgery.
Dr. Felipe Pedroso, Harry's pediatric surgeon, said, “Although we perform all kinds of surgeries in children, pancreatic tumors are not common in kids. And because of the location and size of this particular tumor, there were multiple risks involved. Our goal was to ensure the best possible outcome for Harry, which meant trying to save his pancreas, so that he would not become insulin resistant for the rest of his life.”
“Although our team has performed pancreatic surgeries, which are rare in children, Harry's case was complex because the tumor was situated in an area surrounded by main arteries and veins,” said Dr. Pedroso.
To ensure the best result, Dr. Pedroso and the team at Nicklaus Children's sought the expertise of Dr. Mayank Roy, Surgical Director of the Pancreas Center at Cleveland Clinic Weston, a pancreatic transplant surgeon with expertise in pancreatic resections. Together, Dr. Roy and Dr. Pedroso planned for all possible scenarios for Harry's complex surgery.
They successfully removed the large benign tumor, rerouting portions of the pancreas and reconstructed the organ entirely. The surgery, which took place at Nicklaus Children's Hospital in the new Kenneth C. Griffin Surgical Tower, was a complete success. What's more, Harry, age 8, returned to normal activities within a week.
“I am grateful to have been able to collaborate with Dr. Pedroso and the team at Nicklaus Children's to provide this much-needed care for Harry. This is what it is all about, two outstanding healthcare organizations coming together for the greater good of a patient,” said Dr. Roy.