Recovering: Darren Carle, Nicole O’Donnell and baby Jaxson. Photo: Brendon Thorne
Doctors at the Sydney Children’s Hospital have performed pioneering keyhole surgery on two babies suffering from a rare birth disorder.
The procedure is significantly less painful and invasive than previous techniques used to treat the condition, where part of the digestive tract is missing, and will result in less scarring and a diminished chance of the children growing up with bends in their spines.
Three-month-old Jaxson Carle went home on Thursday after astonishing doctors with his recovery.
“The thing we’re doing now is much better than what we used to do, which was drawn out and traumatic,” pediatric surgeon Guy Henry said. “What’s different about these two is that we’ve done it all keyhole.”