Research
Rather than looking at adult research studies to figure out how kids should be treated, we are doing our own pediatric research in many areas.
Through Children's Hospital's growing research program, we are discovering better ways to care for children before, during and after surgery. We are committed to bringing the new knowledge we gain from research to the bedside — so that our region's children receive the treatments and procedures that have the very best outcomes.
Here's a sampling of our current research projects:
Tissue Engineering
Tissue engineering holds tremendous promise for developing new and innovative approaches for the treatment of children suffering from intestinal loss and intestinal failure.
~ Dr. Stephen Kim, general surgeon, Division of General and Thoracic Surgery
Dr. Stephen Kim is the only pediatric specialist in the Northwest researching ways to grow intestinal tissue; this research helps children suffering from small-intestine tissue loss associated with "short bowel syndrome" and those facing end-stage intestinal failure.
Dr. Kim and his team are fabricating new intestinal tissue by "seeding" cells onto a special plastic scaffold. As the cells grow and multiply, they form new living intestinal tissue while the scaffold breaks down. This intestinal tissue can then be implanted into a child's intestine to replace, maintain or improve tissue function.
Dr. Kim and his laboratory team work in partnership with scientists in the Department of Bioengineering and the Division of Gastroenterology at the University of Washington. Together, they are investigating stem cell biology, intestinal regeneration and development, and new ways to use biomaterial technology.
In 2007, Dr. Kim was honored by the Association of Academic Surgery for his paper titled, A Perfusion Bioreactor for Intestinal Tissue Engineering. Dr. Kim's paper was selected as the "best paper by a new member" at the association's annual meeting.
Outcomes for Gastroesophageal Reflux
Gastroesophageal reflux is not well understood, so the true effectiveness of doing surgery to treat this disease is not clear. Our research is beginning to uncover the issues so that, as physicians and parents, we can make more informed choices regarding the care of our children that will lead to better outcomes for kids in the future.
~ Dr. Adam Goldin, general surgeon, Division of General and Thoracic Surgery
Dr. Adam Goldin is investigating whether surgery is the best method to treat gastroesophageal reflux. Today, children often undergo surgery to control reflux symptoms. In the United States, anti-reflux surgical procedures are the third most frequently performed operation in children.
Dr. Goldin is currently studying which children need surgery for reflux and which surgery is best. His most recent published study found that surgery was associated with an overall decrease in the rate of hospitalizations for reflux-related issues for children age 3 and younger.
He is currently working on several studies that will further define reflux and its impact, in order to identify which children are truly most likely to benefit from surgical procedures.
Outcomes for Pain-relieving Medicines
Through research, my goal is to find out how we can maximize pain relief for children and minimize bad side effects.
~ Dr. Anne Lynn, anesthesiologist, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine
Dr. Anne Lynn studies the different ways infants and young children respond to certain analgesic medicines, including morphine and ketorolac. Dr. Lynn is recognized as an international leader in developmental pharmacology. In the near future, she will study acupuncture as another analgesic treatment.
Outcomes for Regional Anesthesia
Dr. Lynn Martin has set up a registry to compile information about outcomes when ultrasound and other techniques are used to give children regional anesthesia.
Our research will increase pediatric specialists' understanding of regional anesthesia for the benefit of children around the world.
~ Dr. Lynn Martin, director, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine
The regional anesthesia registry is the world's first in more than a decade. It will gather data from many national and international medical institutions for the next three to five years using the Internet and Windows-based technology.
After that time, Dr. Martin anticipates that data collection will continue with clinical trials that measure the safety, cost and effectiveness of specific procedures with and without regional anesthesia.