Damage or removal of calcium-regulating parathyroid glands during endocrine surgery can put children at risk for poor growth and slow mental development. Preserving the often rice-sized organ in children is vital, but not always easy.
Anita Mahadevan-Jansen, Ph.D., professor of Biomedical Engineering and the Orrin H. Ingram Chair in Biomedical Engineering, is the lead investigator on a first-of-its-kind study in children which found that a probe technology that uses near-infrared auto-fluorescent lighting helps positively identify and preserve the parathyroids during endocrine surgery.
Read more at: https://news.vumc.org/2023/06/08/novel-technology-helps-identify-parathyroids-during-pediatric-endocrine-surgery/