Department of Urology | Research & Innovation
Boston Children’s Hospital is a leader in pediatric urology care and at the forefront of clinical research and innovation. With this commitment in mind, our team of experts conducts ongoing research to develop more effective therapies to treat children with urological conditions. The following represents some of the Department’s recent advancements in pediatric urology.
Disorders of sexual differentiation and the ethics of gender assignment
Children with disorders of sexual differentiation can present complicated management issues. Urologist-in-Chief and Associate Clinical Ethicist David A. Diamond, MD, shares three complex cases where optimal gender assignment was unclear and offers insight on the careful evaluation and family involvement required for each case. Read the case studies.
Leading the way: A team approach to large kidney stone care
The occurrence of kidney stones in children is on the rise. To manage the increase, Boston Children’s Kidney Stone Program developed a forward-thinking approach to stone management, highlighted in three recent papers.
- Mutations in SLC26A1 Cause Nephrolithiasis
- Imaging and surgical utilization for pediatric cystinuria patients: a single-institution cohort study
- Nationwide emergency department imaging practices for pediatric urolithiasis patients: room for improvement
Multi-Institutional Bladder Exstrophy Consortium (MIBEC): An examination of short-term outcomes
MIBEC was created to enhance collaboration, and improve care and outcomes for bladder exstrophy patients. The collaboration proved to increase significantly surgeon exposure to complete primary repair of exstrophy (CPRE) and the refinement of the technique, surgeon learning and expertise. Read the outcomes in the Journal of Pediatric Urology: Short-term outcomes of the multi-institutional bladder exstrophy consortium: Success and complications in the first two years of collaboration.
Cancer treatment and reproduction: A proactive path toward fertility
Cancer treatments can impair ovarian function and eliminate sperm stem cells. Richard Yu, MD, PhD, director of Boston Children’s Fertility Preservation Program and colleagues from Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and Brigham and Women's Hospital’s Center for Infertility and Reproductive Surgery address the question many parents ask when their child is being treated for cancer: Will my child be able to have children down the road?
Pioneering surgical techniques
Boston Children's Richard Lee, MD, director of Pediatric Urologic Oncology at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, pioneered the adaption of adult minimally invasive surgical techniques to the pediatric world for the surgical management of kidney and testicular tumors. His efforts improved surgical outcomes while minimizing recovery. Read the paper.
Two patients, two case studies: Examining minimally invasive renal preservation surgery
Robotic assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy can be safely and effectively performed in pediatric patients for renal tumors while preserving renal function. Two pediatric cases from Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center demonstrate the effectiveness of renal preservation using robotic assisted laparoscopic surgery applied for renal masses. Download the case studies.
