Scarring Problem in Pediatric Surgery-Drs. Sherif Emil and Nabil Fanous

In late 2008, eight-month-old Jayden Cambridge’s family brought him to the Montreal Children’s Hospital. Jayden had a bump growing in the middle of his forehead, which concerned his parents. When Dr. Sherif Emil examined him, he realized that the boy had a benign congenital tumor, called a dermoid cyst. Dr. Emil also realized that traditional surgery to remove such a mass would leave a significant scar. In addition, bi-racial Jayden was dark-skinned and therefore at even higher risk of dramatic scarring. “Scarring is more of an issue with kids ,” Dr. Emil states. “Kids have to grow up with those scars and other kids are not so diplomatic”. Fortunately Dr. Emil was current with the scientific literature. He knew from reading the Journal of Pediatric Surgery that surgeons at Stanford’s Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital had recently published an endoscopic technique to remove benign forehead masses. Jayden was an ideal candidate for such a technique. Dr. Emil approached Jayden’s parents; “I had to make clear to the family the risks- this was one-of-a-kind surgery.” The family agreed to move on. Continue reading on  Medtech1.com - Drs. Sherif Emil and Nabil Fanous.