Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital at University Hospitals has made it the hospital’s mission to fi nd safer, less invasive ways of performing surgery on children.

The Center for Minimally Invasive Pediatric Surgery is making that mission a reality. University Hospitals received a $1.5 million gift from the Cleveland Foundation—its largest hospital gift to date – to support the establishment of the Center, which will revolutionize pediatric surgery.

“The Center for Minimally Invasive Pediatric Surgery will make Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital a destination for state-of-the-art surgical care for children,” said Alan R. Cohen, MD, FACS, FAAP, Rainbow Surgeon-in- Chief and Chief of Pediatric Neurological Surgery.

Todd Ponsky, MD, Director of the Center for Minimally Invasive Pediatric Surgery, said the development of new technology and advances in research have helped Rainbow be at the forefront of cuttingedge minimally invasive procedures that are being performed on children of all sizes, including neonates.

“Rainbow is taking minimally invasive surgery one step further. We can do major thoracic and abdominal operations with needle-sized incisions on newborns,” Dr. Ponsky said. “We are one of a handful of hospitals worldwide doing the most advanced minimally invasive surgeries on the smallest patients.”

Rainbow physicians also are training national and international surgeons on these pioneering surgical therapies that greatly reduce recovery times, pain, infection risk, blood loss and scars, and provide infants, teens and young adults a speedier return to an active life.

“We are committed to teaching the rest of the world how to do these cutting-edge techniques,” Dr. Ponsky said.

Minimally invasive surgery is offered in all surgical specialties, including general surgery, neurosurgery, orthopaedic surgery, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, plastic surgery, thoracic surgery and urology – all supported by a team of board-certifi ed pediatric anesthesiologists.

“We are fortunate at Rainbow to have the depth and breadth of expertise in each of the surgical specialties, with respect to minimally invasive surgery,” Dr. Cohen said. “Dr. Ponsky is a superb surgeon and, in this newly created position, will oversee clinical, research and teaching efforts as we expand the program to become a destination center for pediatric minimally invasive surgery.”

Minimally invasive laparoscopic procedures routinely performed at Rainbow include Nissen fundoplication, gastrostomy, pyloromyotomy, duodenal atresia, bowel restriction for stricture, excision of Meckel’s diverticulum, cholecystectomy, appendectomy, oopherectomy, inguinal hernia repair, liver biopsy and malrotation, among others. Routine thoracoscopic procedures include esophageal atresia, pulmonary resection lobectomy, lung biopsy, excision of mediastinal mass, PDA ligation, CDH repair, diaphragmatic placation, thymectomy and decortications.

Rainbow surgeons also are leading the charge on singlesite, scarless surgery. Surgeons can remove the gall bladder, spleen and appendix through the belly button, leaving no visible scar. Single-site surgery offers the same operation with the least amount of pain, best cosmetic outcomes and earlier return to school for children.

Another focus of study is the application of “incisionless” surgery, or natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES), in which abdominal and intestinal procedures are performed through a flexible endoscope that enters the body through the mouth.

Rainbow’s mission and commitment is to make the entire surgical experience less invasive for pediatric patients.
“It’s the less scare, less scar approach to medicine,” Dr. Ponsky said.