Healing Through Collaboration

How did you become interested in pediatric surgery?

I always knew I wanted to be a surgeon. When I was young, I thought I wanted to be a heart surgeon. But in medical school, I had my first introduction to pediatric general surgery. I realized I liked seeing the outcomes of the kids — how they could have normal lives after their seemingly challenging surgical problems were fixed. It was at that point that I decided I wanted to be a pediatric surgeon.

What was your path to UC San Diego?

After finishing medical school in Houston, I completed my residency at UC Davis and my pediatric surgery fellowship at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. I’m from the west, so once I completed my fellowship, I knew I wanted to go back to the West Coast. My wife and I thought it would be a good place to raise our kids and be closer to our family. Also, working at UC San Diego was a good opportunity for me to pursue the type of pediatric surgery I wanted to practice.

What is esophageal atresia, and how can you treat it?

Esophageal atresia is a congenital problem that babies are born with where they are missing a section of their esophagus. It is not common — esophageal atresia happens in approximately one in every 4,000 births. To surgically treat esophageal atresia, we attach the two ends of the esophagus together. This usually happens within the first couple of days after birth.

What are the complications that can happen after surgery? How can they be avoided?

There is always a small risk of complications after surgery, which can impact eating and breathing. To prevent these complications, our patients visit the Center for Pediatric Aerodigestive Disorders and Airway Surgery at Rady Children's Hospital San Diego— where pediatric general surgeons, ear and throat surgeons, pulmonologists, gastrointestinal specialists, feeding therapists and nutritionists work collaboratively to optimize care after an operation. This multidisciplinary team is important because eating and breathing go hand in hand.

What makes the Center for Pediatric Aerodigestive Disorders and Airway Surgery unique?

This center is one of the best care models that I’ve seen — everyone works together, and decisions are made collectively. I’ve worked on increasing collaboration with the gastroenterologists to increase interventions after the initial surgery, so children do not have to undergo additional surgeries. We are also expanding our treatment options for patients with severe complications. For example, we can use a piece of the small intestine to replace part of the damaged esophagus to allow for normal function. It’s very exciting and fulfilling work.

What keeps you motivated to continue in this field?

The people at the Center for Pediatric Aerodigestive Disorders and Airway Surgery have been really great in supporting the building of this program. I also have a lot of great colleagues who are pleasant and fun to work with. Having the support and being with people that I like working with makes it enjoyable to come into work each day.