FIRST NET TRANSPLANT FOR A CHILD
Dr. C had already performed liver transplants for adults with neuroendocrine (NET) cancer, and his team had published a paper five years prior for a triple tranplant (pancreas, liver, kidney), but he was not aware NETs could be diagnosed in a child.
Khloe with mom and dad just beofre her transplant surgery
CONFIDENT AND COMFORTABLE
Although Dr. C considers organ transplants in the U.S. to be a challenge due to the infrastructure of the system, he was very confident about his ability to perform this surgery on 10 year old Khloe.
GETTING TO KNOW KHLOE
The first and very important part of the process was getting to know Khloe and her family...and discovering her love of gymnastics.
MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TEAM DECISION
Dr. C uses a team approach when it comes to making the final decision to move forward with a surgical plan, and Khloe and her family benefited from a process that is particularly important in neuroendocrine cancer care.
COLLABORATIVE CARE
The collaborative relationship between Dr. C, Khloe's transplant surgeon in Minnesota, Dr. O, the pediatric NET specialist in Iowa, and Dr. York, her initial pediatric oncologist in Maryland, created an opportunity for optimal care.
GETTING PAST THE EGO
Dr. C credits his team, and especially his veteran nurse practioner, for the success of each patient's surgery. In the final Part 4 of Khloe's story we will meet the more "behind the scenes" team members who helped Khloe on the road to recovery.
