Joel Mayerson, MD, orthopedic oncologist at Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, successfully performed a rare rotationplasty surgery on a bone cancer patient, according to a hospital news release.
Dugan Smith discovered a softball-sized tumor just above his knee shortly after he broke his femur. The 13-year-old opted to undergo rotationplasty surgery, which allows doctors to remove the diseased portion of a patient's leg. In Mr. Smith's case, his lower leg was amputated, the tumor removed, and the leg rotated and reattached so that his ankle now functions as his knee and his calf muscle serves as his thigh.
"Unlike adults, children can re-train their body to make their foot work like a knee, enabling them to run and participate in athletic activities," said Dr. Mayerson, who is one of only 125 fellowship-trained musculoskeletal oncologists nationwide. "Having this procedure also eliminates the need for follow-up surgeries as the child continues to grow, because the bone will grow on its own as the child ages, and there aren’t any artificial parts to break or become damaged with wear."
Read the hospital news release about the rotationplasty performed by Dr. Mayerson.
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Dugan Smith discovered a softball-sized tumor just above his knee shortly after he broke his femur. The 13-year-old opted to undergo rotationplasty surgery, which allows doctors to remove the diseased portion of a patient's leg. In Mr. Smith's case, his lower leg was amputated, the tumor removed, and the leg rotated and reattached so that his ankle now functions as his knee and his calf muscle serves as his thigh.
"Unlike adults, children can re-train their body to make their foot work like a knee, enabling them to run and participate in athletic activities," said Dr. Mayerson, who is one of only 125 fellowship-trained musculoskeletal oncologists nationwide. "Having this procedure also eliminates the need for follow-up surgeries as the child continues to grow, because the bone will grow on its own as the child ages, and there aren’t any artificial parts to break or become damaged with wear."
Read the hospital news release about the rotationplasty performed by Dr. Mayerson.
Related Articles on Our Top 50 Hospitals:
Munson Healthcare Anesthesiologist Discusses Implantable Therapies for Chronic Pain
Digital Mammography Debuts at UPMC Hamot Imaging Center
New York-Presbyterian Hospital CEO Discusses Healthcare Reform's Impact