Robotic surgery gives Connecticut toddler born with kidney defect a fresh start

Payton Grassia and her mom, Jessica Payton Grassia is all things preschooler. She loves finger painting and outdoor play, has a “big personality,” her mom says, and recently added big sister to her list of credentials. But beyond her sweet smile and playful charm, this spunky three-and-a-half-year-old is also a fighter. And her fight began before she was even born. Prenatal testing While pregnant, Payton’s mom, Jessica Grassia, had an amniocentesis, a test used to identify potential congenital defects in babies. The test revealed that her unborn baby, at 28 weeks in utero, had a duplex collecting system—a normal finding where a kidney has two ureters (tubes that carry urine from the kidney to the bladder) rather than one. This condition may affect the drainage of urine from the urinary system. “When we found out that there was something wrong with my baby’s left kidney, it was very emotional,” says Jessica. Upon receiving the news, she and her husband, Richard, called upon a local, Connecticut-based pediatric urologist who recommended waiting until the baby was born for further evaluation and treatment. Baby Payton’s arrival Payton was born on June 17, 2011. Along with tiny booties, frequent feedings and gentle snuggles, Payton’s first few months also included frequent trips to her urologist. At one month old, Payton underwent MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and VCUG (voiding cystourethrogram) testing. Here, doctors also determined that she had a u...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: All posts Diseases & conditions Our patients’ stories Source Type: news