GLENEAGLES HOSPITAL SINGAPORE

Strong Surgical Expertise in the Region Complex paediatric conditions commonly impact multi-organ systems and can be extremely challenging to manage . With a rise in the number of children with complex conditions and illnesses in recent years , Gleneagles Hospital Singapore has continued to build on its strength in management of this distinct group of patients , from the moment they ’ re born through to 18 years of age .

Gleneagles Hospital Singapore ’ s competence stems from experience and its commitment to being on the side of patients . This has seen the hospital and its care teams perform highly complex surgeries for conditions such as rare cancers , like neuroblastoma , and cardiovascular malformation and disorders . To successfully manage and treat children with such conditions , the hospital embraces a multidisciplinary approach that harnesses the experience and expertise of the care team in the diagnosis , treatment , and post-operative care of these patients .

Multidisciplinary Team Gleneagles Hospital Singapore is noted for our multidisciplinary team consisting of highly experienced surgeons from various medical specialties , paediatricians , oncologists , radiologists , allied health professionals , and a well-trained and highly experienced nursing care team .

We often receive patients from the Asia-Pacific region with limited

Dr Ravi Shrestha & Dr Melvin Heng

treatment options . Our teams are able to collaborate closely on each of these paediatric cases to provide a personalised treatment plan and offer outcomes-driven care to give these children the best possible chance of a good quality of life .

The team adopts a compassionate child-friendly and family-centric approach with the child ’ s comfort in mind . It goes without saying that families will be able to be by the child ’ s side from treatment to recovery .

Complex Paediatric Conditions Highly complex conditions that we manage include :

High-risk Neuroblastoma For neuro-oncological conditions , the cancer can be persistent with poor response to traditional chemotherapy and radiation treatments . Neurosur- gery for children must also be refined to minimise injury to tissue as it may hinder their development .

Complex treatments performed by our team include multimodality therapy consisting of advanced surgeries such as trapdoor thoracotomy , thoracoabdominal surgery , and adrenal-sparing surgery . This is combined with pre-operative chemotherapy , high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplant , and immunotherapy with anti-GD2 monoclonal antibody .

Tetralogy of Fallot Our surgeons have also successfully treated children with the most complex and rare congenital cardiac septal defect such as Tetralogy of Fallot — a combination of four congenital heart defects involving a ventricular septal defect , pulmonary stenosis , overriding aorta , and right ventricular hypertrophy .

Following surgical correction procedures , these patients will be able to recover in our dedicated NICU or ICU facilities where they will be monitored round-the-clock by staff members who specialise in caring for critically ill infants with rare heart diseases . At times when the heart or lungs may require extra support , Gleneagles Hospital Singapore offers various mechanical support options sized appropriately for children . These include our capabilities in advanced technologies such as VADs ( ventricular assist devices ) and ECMO ( extracorporeal membrane oxygenation ).

70 SEPTEMBER 2022 GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com