Father praises staff at Staffordshire Children’s Hospital, Royal Stoke following first-of-its-kind procedure
The father of an eight-year-old suffering from a rare pancreatic condition has thanked staff at Staffordshire Children’s Hospital at Royal Stoke and University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) for their “amazing” collaborative treatment.
Muhammad Iqbal, from Sneyd Green, was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis which led to him developing a large cyst causing severe pain and difficulty passing food.
Doctors at the hospital who were normally used to treating adult patients for similar issues, successfully drained the cyst using a special stent, in the first-of-its-kind procedure at the Children’s Hospital.
Father Muhammad Zafar said: “When we first came to Staffordshire Children’s Hospital at Royal Stoke, it was worrying and stressful time as a parent. Initially, I thought his pain was due to a bug. After the first test results, I was told he was really poorly and it might be pancreatitis, and he might need some form of surgery. The doctors were very open and honest and explained what was happening at each stage and what they are going to do next.”
After two months under the care of the children’s wards, including a period of time on the Children’s Intensive Care Unit (CICU), Muhammad Iqbal was referred to the care of Dr Srisha Hebbar, Consultant Gastroenterologist.
Dr Hebbar said: “When there’s a significant inflammation of the pancreas, it can cause what’s called a pancreatic pseudocyst, a collection of fluid. This puts pressure on the stomach and can lead to pain or difficulties in passing food as its obstructing the opening of the stomach.
“We used a special technology called an endoscopic ultrasound to look at the cyst from inside the stomach to assess where the collection of fluid was before putting a specifically designed metal stent in between the fluid collection and stomach to drain the fluid from the inside. This procedure has revolutionised how we manage these complex patients, leading to a quicker recovery and improved patient experience as there are no tubes on the outside. We kept this stent in Muhammad Iqbal for a few weeks before removing it after the fluid had subsided.”
Dr Anna Pigott, Paediatric Gastroenterologist and Clinical Director for Child Health at Staffordshire Children's Hospital at Royal Stoke said: “We’re fortunate at Staffordshire Children’s Hospital at Royal Stoke to have access to the expertise and equipment from the on-site adult team at UHNM who deal with this procedure more frequently than it’s done in children.
“There are very few children’s hospitals who have access to this and that’s what makes us really special. This is the first time the whole care has been provided under one roof in one hospital. The usual procedure would involve the child being transferred to another hospital with specialist teams, which is disruptive for the family. It’s also safer to do the procedures with both paediatric and adult teams present in the environment they’re used to working in.”
The procedures took place in the recently refurbished Endoscopy Unit at the Royal Stoke University Hospital, made child-friendly thanks to a grant from UHNM Charity.
Dr Hebbar said: “We have worked with colleagues from Staffordshire Children’s Hospital at Royal Stoke before, on cases such as the removal of foreign bodies or polyps, but Muhammad Iqbal’s case was the first of its kind. Making a difference to our patients is always great, but especially so when it involves younger patients. Seeing a child in this situation is heartbreaking for us, so we were very happy to help. It’s been a collaborative effort, sharing expertise with our paediatricians to provide the best outcome for the patient.”
Dr Pigott said: “We’re really proud that we could offer this service. One of the real benefits of Staffordshire Children’s Hospital at Royal Stoke is that we have access to fantastic equipment and really skilled adult colleagues from UHNM, meaning we can offer top quality service that many other children’s hospitals nationally can’t.”
Muhammad Zafar said: “The procedures went really well. We were pleased that immediately after the first procedure, we started to see an improvement in Muhammad Iqbal. The very next day, you could see a big difference. He was out of pain and walking around the ward. We had a really good follow-up, and after six weeks the stent was removed successfully, and all the fluid had gone.”
“The care has been amazing, especially when he was really poorly and in a lot of pain. The doctors and nurses were always available if we needed anything or anybody to talk to. It was a bumpy ride. He started to get better, then it turned, and he went backwards again, but I was impressed that the doctors were able to predict these peaks and troughs.
“I would like to say a big thank you to all the staff who looked after Muhammad Iqbal. You are all fantastic and really supportive.”
Muhammad Iqbal was discharged from the Children’s Hospital earlier this month following his treatment.