Tag Archives: Dr. Armen Ketchedjian

Child health, Healthcare, Healthcare Information, Healthcare Professionals, Obesity, Pediatrics, Society, Surgeons, Surgery, Weight loss

As More And More Adults Turn To Various Forms Of Surgery To Deal With Their Obesity, The Question Arises Whether Or Not The Same Medical Procedures Are Suitable For Overweight Children

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over nine million children in the United States are now considered overweight or obese. But as more and more adults turn to various forms of surgery to deal with their obesity, the question arises whether or not the same medical procedures are suitable for children.

Weight-loss surgery can be an effective option for some severely obese adults who have been unable to lose weight using conventional weight-loss methods. However, as with any type of surgery, there are risks and potential long-term complications.

Perhaps more importantly, the long-term effects of weight-loss surgery on a child’s future growth and development are largely unknown.

Some parents are convinced that weight-loss surgery may be the only solution for their child’s obesity. However, there is no guarantee that your child will get down to a normal healthy weight or keep off the weight in the long run.

Dr. Armen Ketchedjian, author of the book Will It Hurt? A Parent’s Practical Guide to Children’s Surgery, cautions against this radical approach when it comes to pediatric dieting and weight loss. 

“I don’t believe that this kind of surgery is necessary or practical for children,” says Dr. Ketch, as he is known to his patients. “I think that proper diet and behavioral modification are much more appropriate in this case. Teaching your child to follow a healthy lifestyle makes a lot more sense.”

Here are some tips Dr. Ketch recommends for parents who want to help their children lose weight and become healthier:
• Make sure the child is physically active every day
• Have the child plan and cook healthy meals with the parents
• Avoid trips to fast-food restaurants
• Stock the pantry with healthy snacks
• Avoid buying and keeping junk food in the house 

Dr. Ketch’s book, Will It Hurt?, is intended to educate parents about pediatric surgery. It is an easy-to-read resource that will give parents, their children and their families the help and reassurance they need to make any surgical experience as stress-free as possible.

Listed in The Guide to America’s Top Anesthesiologists by the Consumer Research Council of America, Dr. Ketch trained at Cornell Medical Center with a fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and a pain management elective at Boston Children’s Hospital. He has worked to help develop new techniques in ambulatory anesthesia, taught medical students and residents and cared for more than 10,000 patients.

Dr. Ketch is also the author of the children’s book Golden Apples (winner of the 2008 Reviewer’s Choice Award), a beautifully illustrated book that aims to help educate children about the dangers of drug abuse. 

For more information, contact the author directly at support@dr.ketch.com.

WARREN ENTERPRISES, LLC and author Dr. Armen G. Ketchedjian chose Arbor Books, Inc. (www.ArborBooks.com) to design and promote Will It Hurt? A Parent’s Practical Guide to Children’s Surgery. Arbor Books is an internationally renowned, full-service book design, ghostwriting and marketing firm.

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Child health, Healthcare, Healthcare Professionals, Society, Surgery

A Breakthrough Surgery Is Offering Hope To Children That Suffer Nerve Damage In Their Arms And Hands

Just five years ago, a child that suffered damage to brachial plexus nerves, the nerves that pass signals between the brain, hand and arm, would have been hard pressed to recover fully because surgical techniques couldn’t provide a fix without pulling nerves from another part of the body, leaving a numb spot. 

Now a new surgery pioneered at the St. Louis Children’s Hospital is offering hope to these kids through a revolutionary process that cuts the ends off the damaged nerves and attaches them to healthy but lightly taxed nerves allowing a child to recover some, if not all, movement.

Dr. Armen Ketchedjian, author of the book Will it Hurt? A Parent’s Practical Guide to Children’s Surgery, says that parents of children in need of surgery are often drawn to new surgical techniques in the hope of finding a way to help their child. He recommends parents find trusted sources of information and ask the advice of their child’s doctor prior to making a major decision about treatment. 

“Surgeons are able to do wonderful things to help children heal,” says Dr. Ketch, as he is known to his patients. “But parents should understand that new surgeries are but one option that they need to explore when their child has been injured.”

In his book, Dr. Ketch recommends that parents interested in finding a new surgeon or exploring a new surgical technique follow a simple guidelines first, including:

• Visit the medical facility where a prospective surgeon works to see if it is child friendly

• Find trusted medical journals that may have information about a new procedure

• Ask other parents whose children have undergone the same surgery

• Find any support group that may have information for parents whose children have a specific birth defect or injury

“The more parents know the better off they’ll be,” says Dr. Ketch. “New technologies and procedures are being developed all the time, so parents have a lot to learn in a short amount of time following a child’s injury.”

Unfortunately parents are often the ones managing a child’s medical portfolio and scouting for new treatments, according to Dr. Ketch, who says, ““Unfortunately, because of the hectic pace and complexity of the modern healthcare landscape, parents are sometimes in a better position to keep track of their child’s treatment and care better than physicians.”

Will it Hurt? helps educate parents about pediatric surgery. It is an easy-to-read resource that will give you, your child and your family the help and reassurance you need to make the surgical experience as stress-free as possible.

Listed in The Guide to America’s Top Anesthesiologists by the Consumer Research Council of America, Dr. Ketch trained at Cornell Medical Center, with a fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and a pain management elective at Boston Children’s Hospital. He has also worked to help develop new techniques in ambulatory anesthesia, taught medical students and residents, and cared for more than 10,000 patients.

Dr. Ketch is also the author of the children’s book Golden Apples (winner of the 2008 Reviewer’s Choice Award), a beautifully illustrated book that aims to help educate children about the dangers of drug abuse. 

For more information, contact the author directly at support@dr.ketch.com.

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Anesthesiology, Child health, Healthcare, Society, Surgery

Study Says That Young Children Exposed To Anesthesia May Be More Prone To Developing Behavioral And Developmental Disorders Than Their Peers

A study released this week by Columbia University researchers found that young children exposed to anesthesia may be more prone to developing behavioral and developmental disorders than their peers, though researchers said the study was limited.

One prominent anesthesiologist says he believes that parents can help alleviate their fears about anesthesia by forming a solid relationship with their child’s surgeon.

Dr. Armen Ketchedjian, author of the book Will It Hurt? A Parent’s Practical Guide to Children’s Surgery, says that parents are often in the dark about what their child will experience while under general anesthesia and what risks may be associated with the drugs used during surgery.

“The risks to children undergoing surgery with general anesthesia are slightly higher than they are in adults” says Dr. Ketch, as he is known to his patients. “Children have smaller windpipes than adults and that makes the procedures a little more complex. It’s important for parents to talk to their child’s doctors to better understand what the procedure involves and what their child may experience.”

Research into the link between anesthesia and developmental disorders was first established using rats, and the anesthesiology community has been conducting further research since then on a recommendation from the FDA.

“We in the medical profession are held to a higher standard and so we can’t take anything for granted,” says Dr. Ketch.

Dr. Ketch’s book is a guide for parents whose children need surgery and a big part of the book’s message is the importance of education for parents. “Education,” says Dr. Ketch, “is a great way to help dispel myths and help parents make more informed decisions.”

Will It Hurt? is an easy-to-read resource that will give parents, their children and their families the help and reassurance they need to make any surgical experience as stress-free as possible.

Listed in The Guide to America’s Top Anesthesiologists by the Consumer Research Council of America, Dr. Ketch trained at Cornell Medical Center, with a fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and a pain management elective at Boston Children’s Hospital. He has worked to help develop new techniques in ambulatory anesthesia, taught medical students and residents, and cared for more than 10,000 patients.

Dr. Ketch is also the author of the children’s book Golden Apples (winner of the 2008 Reviewer’s Choice Award), a beautifully illustrated book that aims to help educate children about the dangers of drug abuse.

For more information, contact the author directly at support@dr.ketch.com.

WARREN ENTERPRISES, LLC and author Dr. Armen G. Ketchedjian chose Arbor Books, Inc. (www.ArborBooks.com) to design and promote Will It Hurt? A Parent’s Practical Guide to Children’s Surgery. Arbor Books is an internationally renowned, full-service book design, ghostwriting and marketing firm.

(Will It Hurt? A Parent’s Practical Guide to Children’s Surgery by Dr. Ketch; ISBN: 0-9815373-0-8; $14.95; 172 pages; 5½” x 8 ½”; softcover with illustrations; WARREN ENTERPRISES, LLC)

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Healthcare, Pediatrics, Physicians, Society, Surgery

Dr. Ketch’s Book Covers Important Topics For Parents Whose Children Need Surgery

A recent study of more than 11,000 children published in the journal Pediatrics found that door hinges and frames represent the greatest danger to small children in the form of hand and finger injuries.

The results of these injuries can lead to surgery, and one prominent anesthesiologist is paving the way in helping parents understand what that means for their kids.

Dr. Armen Ketchedjian, author of the book Will It Hurt? A Parent’s Practical Guide to Children’s Surgery, says that the injuries children sustain can often only be repaired through surgery, and that parents should prepare for that possibility.

Most of these injuries occur when doors close on a child’s fingers, a problem made worse in countries without legislation mandating safer door systems designed to help kids stay safe. 

“When you hear that your child must have surgery it can be a terrifying experience” saysDr. Ketch, as he is known to his patients. “It’s not easy to accept that your child needs an operation, but once you know that he or she does, it’s imperative that you help prepare your child as best you can.”

Will It Hurt? is Dr. Ketch’s way of furthering parent education in the days and hours surrounding child surgeries that result not only from injuries such as those caused by door frames and hinges, but also from developmental problems, childhood diseases and birth defects. 

“It has been shown that children have an easier time with surgery and recovery when they are less anxious, and a great way to help that happen is to have the parents be less anxious,” says Dr. Ketch.“That often means educating them so that their fears are alleviated at least a little bit.” 

Dr. Ketch’s book covers important topics for parents whose children need surgery, including:

• What to do the day of the surgery
• What to do if their child needs to stay overnight
• How to choose a surgeon
• What questions to ask of the child’s doctors
• What to expect as the child recovers from surgery

Will It Hurt? helps educate parents about pediatric surgery. It is an easy-to-read resource that will give parents, their child and their families the help and reassurance they need to make any surgical experience as stress-free as possible.

Listed in The Guide to America’s Top Anesthesiologists by the Consumer Research Council of America, Dr. Ketch trained at Cornell Medical Center, with a fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and a pain management elective at Boston Children’s Hospital. He has worked to help develop new techniques in ambulatory anesthesia, taught medical students and residents, and cared for more than 10,000 patients.

Dr. Ketch is also the author of the children’s book Golden Apples (winner of the 2008 Reviewer’s Choice Award), a beautifully illustrated book that aims to help educate children about the dangers of drug abuse. 

For more information, contact the author directly at support@dr.ketch.com.

(Will It Hurt? A Parent’s Practical Guide to Children’s Surgery by Dr. Ketch; ISBN: 0-9815373-0-8; $14.95; 172 pages; 5½” x 8 ½”; softcover with illustrations; WARREN ENTERPRISES, LLC)

Via EPR Network
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