The Complex Airway team at Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH) recently celebrated a 15-year milestone
Caelen Potts and his mum Lliana pictured at PCH in 2021 following one of his surgeries.
The Complex Airway team at Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH) recently celebrated a 15-year milestone as the first and only team of its kind in Australasia providing world-class care to children with diverse and complex airway needs.
The team was formed in 2006 following Dr Shyan Vijayasekaran’s return from the Cincinnatti Children’s Hospital where a similar multidisciplinary meeting was held.
Head of the Ear Nose and Throat Department (ENT) at PCH, Dr Hayley Herbert said she is proud of what the multidisciplinary team has achieved.
“We are a highly effective group, drawing on expertise and experience across different medical, surgical and allied health specialities, that coordinates an individualised management plan for patients with complex issues.
“Since we formed, the team has worked collaboratively to diagnose, treat and monitor more than 2,500 patients with complex airway problems,” Dr Herbert said.
Caelan Potts is one of the children who has benefited from the team’s care following his diagnosis of Pierre Robin Sequence shortly after his birth.
The diagnosis meant Caelan couldn’t breathe or feed properly due to a cleft palate and an underdeveloped jaw.
Caelan spent one month in the neonatal intensive care unit at PCH and then required intensive support at home for the first 6 months after discharge to manage his nasal breathing tube and a nasogastric feeding tube, together with continuous oxygen saturation monitoring.
Caelan underwent three surgeries within his first year including jaw distraction surgery to help him breathe and feed on his own and a cleft palate repair surgery which made feeding much easier.
Caelan’s mum Lliana was impressed by the care coordinated through the Complex Airway team.
“Knowing all of the specialists (ENT, respiratory, speech, occupational therapy, plastics, neonates etc) discussed his case together, gave us reassurance and confidence in the plan they coordinated for Caelan,” she said.
Lliana said after a challenging first year of life, Caelen is now absolutely thriving.
Read more about the Complex Airway team here.