Read Frankie's Story - K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital

Big Surgery for a Little Boy:
Advanced Surgery Treats a Major Infection
It started out as a
common cold, but within a
few days, 3-year-old Frankie Clarici was
running a fever as high as 104 degrees.
Frankie’s parents, Jennifer and Frank,
took him to Jersey Shore University
Medical Center, where a chest X-ray
showed he had pneumonia.
The infection was so severe that Frankie
had pus surrounding the outside of his
lungs, which was making it difficult for
him to breathe. Ahmed Mami, M.D.,
pediatric surgeon at K. Hovnanian
Children’s Hospital at Jersey Shore
University Medical Center and part of
Meridian Pediatric Network, met with
Frankie and his family and scheduled
surgery for the next day.
“Dr. Mami took the time to show us
what Frankie’s X-ray looked like and
compared it to a normal X-ray of healthy
lungs so we could fully understand what
was happening,” Jennifer says. “Dr. Mami
then walked us through the surgery so we
could know every single step he’d be taking
to treat our son.”
Breathing Easy Again
Dr. Mami explained that the type of
highly specialized surgery he planned to
do is called video-assisted thoracoscopic
surgery (VATS). “It’s a minimally invasive
procedure in which I make a few tiny
incisions in the chest and insert special
tools, including a camera that allows us to
see inside as we perform the surgery,”
Dr. Mami says. “During the operation, I
took out the infection encasing the lungs.”
When Jennifer and Frank learned
that Dr. Mami successfully removed the
infection using the VATS technique, they
breathed a sigh of relief.
“If the infection had been too extensive
for VATS surgery, Dr. Mami explained
to us that he would have had to cut open
Frankie’s chest, which as a parent is
terrifying,” Jennifer says.
Plus it would have been a much longer
recovery for Frankie. He stayed in the
hospital for a few more days, which
happened to be over the Christmas and
New Year holidays, and went home on
January 4, 2013.
“Although no one wants to be in the
hospital over the holidays, the staff still
made it feel special with musicians,
decorations, and gifts,” Jennifer says.
Part of the Team
Whenever possible, Dr. Mami uses
minimally invasive procedures, like VATS,
to treat patients. “The recovery is much
quicker and less painful, so kids can get
back to being kids sooner,” he says.
Providers at Jersey Shore take a team
approach to treating each and every
patient. “With Frankie, I worked with
Ahmed Mami, M.D.
Board certified in
General Surgery
Forked River | 732-935-0407
Frankie Clarici, 3, is back at his easel after
surgery on his lungs. The minimally invasive
techniques Dr. Mami used allowed Frankie
to have a quicker recovery.
many different specialists, including
pediatrics, infectious disease, intensive
care, and pulmonology,” Dr. Mami says.
“We all agreed that surgery was the best
approach in this case and VATS would be
the best kind of surgery for him.”
Jennifer and Frank are grateful for the
expert care Frankie received and how
thorough the team members were when
informing them, too. “They always made
us feel like part of the team,” Jennifer
says. “With every detail, it was clear that
Frankie wasn’t just another patient to
them, but it was like they were treating
their very own child. As a parent, you
couldn’t ask for more.”
EXPANDING PEDIATRIC SERVICES WILL TREAT MORE KIDS
Meridian Pediatric Surgical Associates has expanded with a new office in
Forked River, enabling even more children in Ocean County and southern
New Jersey regions to receive comprehensive pediatric surgical services.
Visit KHovnanianChildrensHospital.com to learn more.
4 Meridian KidvieWs • sUMMer 2013 • KHovnanianChildrensHospital.com

MOMS
Simple Tips to Squash
Stress
Today’s parents juggle many
responsibilities — but too many
can leave you overscheduled and
stressed-out. Prolonged stress can
hurt your parenting skills as well
as your emotional and physical
health. Headaches, anxiety, high
blood pressure, heart disease, and
a weakened immune system are all
potential results of long-term stress.
Julie Master, D.O., a cardiologist at
Riverview Medical Center, recommends
some pointers to relieve the pressure:
• Take control. Do one thing at a time.
Make a list of everything you must do
and check off tasks as you do them.
• Decide what’s important. Be realistic
about what you can do, and say no
to activities that aren’t necessary. Ask
for help when you need it.
• Take time for yourself. Parents
need downtime, too! Take a bath,
meditate, work out — whatever
relaxes you.
• Play with your kids. Between your
children’s piano lessons and soccer
practice, include unstructured
playtime — and join in. Break out a
board game and see if you don’t
feel better.
Check Out
Our New
Look!
FIND MORE AT MERIDIAN
MOMTOURAGE
Looking for more stress-busting tips?
Stacy Doumas, M.D., has a few more
pointers for New Jersey moms in her
article “Stress at a National High in
NJ.” Visit MeridianMomtourage.com to
check it out.
K HOVNANIAN CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL 5