Six-year-old Jordan was enjoying a fun break with his family in Big Bear, Calif. when he started complaining of stomach pains one afternoon. He had no chronic conditions or other symptoms, so his family didn’t immediately think it was anything serious. They assumed it might be a stomach virus, and never imagined that he would need to undergo surgery at CHOC a mere 24 hours later.
Late that night Jordan was in tremendous pain, so his parents took him to an emergency room near their resort. Two local physicians ruled out anything serious. They told Jordan’s parents it was likely just constipation or gas, and sent Jordan home.
“We were wary of the diagnosis received and being vigilant, we cut our family vacation short and rushed home so we could be closer to CHOC if his condition worsened,” says Jordan’s mom, Emma.
His pain became unbearable overnight.
“We knew his pain was abnormal and didn’t want to take any more chances at any local hospital. I wanted to know my son was in a place that specializes in kids.”
An accurate and timely diagnosis at CHOC
Testing in the ED immediately revealed that Jordan had a unique case of appendicitis with ileo-colic intussusception (a condition where part of the intestine folds into itself, like a collapsing telescope), and would undergo surgery that same day.
“Appendicitis is the most common reason for abdominal surgery in children. Pediatric surgeons at CHOC saw over 700 cases of appendicitis last year,” says Dr. Peter Yu, a pediatric general and thoracic surgeon at CHOC. “Many of these patients first come through the emergency department, meaning our ED staff is well-versed in both classic and non-traditional symptoms of appendicitis, and very unlikely to miss a diagnosis. Also, when we discover unusual variations associated with common childhood illnesses, such as ileocolic intussusception with acute appendicitis, the pediatric surgeons here are prepared to deal with it.”
Surgery at a Place Designed Just for Kids
Receiving a correct diagnosis faster meant that Jordan was on his way to surgery before his symptoms worsened.
“Jordan’s parents made a good decision in bringing him straight to CHOC,” says Dr. Yu. “If they had gone to an ‘adult’ hospital first, they would likely have been transferred to CHOC for surgery anyway. This can be costly, delays care, and can be a huge inconvenience for families.”
Learning that your child needs surgery can be scary for parents to hear. But thanks to Jordan’s parents’ decision to bring him to a hospital that only treats kids, Jordan was under the care of pediatric-trained specialists using equipment that’s made just for kids.
CHOC has pediatric surgeons on call 24/7, meaning there is always a pediatric-trained specialist ready to treat your child, no matter what time of day or night your child needs surgery.
“These events are extremely stressful as a parent because while we are still digesting the diagnosis, we need to ensure we make sound decisions in a short amount of time,” says Emma. “Dr. Yu was patient and very thorough, and I knew there was no one else I would rather have care for my son. He was in excellent hands. We were probably his last surgery of the day but he made us feel like we were his first.
After making the decision to return to CHOC for Jordan’s correct diagnosis and surgery, their son was not only in the hands of a pediatric surgeon, but a pediatric anesthesiologist as well.
“Although, an appendectomy is one of the less invasive surgeries a child can undergo, as a parent you’re still very much concerned of the potential issues that could arise from going under anesthesia,” Emma recalls. “Knowing he was under the care of an anesthesiologist who specializes in children was a great comfort to my husband and me. After we met with his surgery team, we knew he was in the best hands possible.”
Healing faster in an environment just for kids
Jordan sailed through surgery with flying colors. His appendectomy was done via a single incision hidden in his belly button, meaning he will have minimal to no scarring after surgery. His intussusception self-resolved and needed no additional surgical intervention.
After surgery, Jordan only needed to stay at CHOC for one night for observation, but he had so much fun that he would have stayed even longer if he could have, Emma recalls.
“Jordan loved being at the hospital because he felt like he was the boss! Everyone was so attentive to him. Every person that we interacted with, from the nurses that cared for him and spoke in a way he would understand, to the volunteer in the play room that let Jordan teach him how to play chess, helped make CHOC a kid-friendly place. I know any fear of doctors, hospitals and surgery that Jordan had were all lessened because of this environment.”
Jordan spent a few days resting at home and was back at school the following week.
“Dr. Yu helped get us through this high-stress situation with our son with the amount of professionalism and care you would ever want in a scary time. He is hands down one of the best. We’ll be forever grateful to Dr. Yu!” says Emma. “Now that I know how wonderful the emergency department and entire staff is at CHOC, I won’t take my kids anywhere else.”
