Pediatric faculty from the UAB Department of Urology have had an amicable, long-term partnership with Children’s of Alabama and are making a difference in the lives of young patients through research and innovative, novel surgical techniques.

Children's of Alabama featured Dr. David B. Joseph and Dr. Carmen Tong in multiple articles highlighting their pediatric urology initiatives. 

Pediatric urologists help lead spina bifida study for Children’s of Alabama

As chiefs of pediatric urology and professors of the Department of Urology, David B. Joseph, M.D. and Stacy Tanaka, M.D., M.S., FAAP, FACS work with Children’s of Alabama in pediatric urology. Both specialists are helping to lead a dynamic spina bifida study named Urologic Management to Preserve Initial Renal Function Protocol for Young Children with Spina Bifida (UMPIRE), a decade-long initiative established by Children’s and designed to provide an evidence-based protocol for testing and monitoring patients with spina bifida to identify early kidney injury. Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the study follows over 500 children diagnosed with the most severe form of spina bifida, called myelomeningocele, which forms a sac of fluid containing a portion of the spinal cord and nerves that protrudes out of an infant’s back.

This clinical trial has a unique approach in that the investigators tweak protocol based on data review per quarter, which has led to some important discoveries along the way, such as discovering that the use of prophylactic antibiotics was not needed in newborns and Tanaka’s revelation that there were multiple centers using different ways to assess urodynamics, which is related to urinary tract function.

Joseph told the Children’s of Alabama spring newsletter that the urologic community uses the UMPIRE program structure as a protocol for future management.

Dr. Joseph has also been chosen as chair of the upcoming 2023 World Congress on Spina Bifida Research and Care, which is an annual summit dedicated to providing innovative research and solutions to those living with spina bifida.

Read More: Children’s of Alabama leads practice-changing spina bifida study

Urology Team offers alternative surgical method using new robot

Upon the arrival of the DaVinci robot to the Children’s of Alabama in December 2022, the Director of Pediatric Robotic Surgery and assistant professor of the UAB Department of Urology, Carmen Tong, D.O., told Children’s that she’s excited to now offer this service to their patients. This robot provides an even more minimally invasive alternative to laparoscopic surgery by achieving results through three tiny incisions. Its instruments provide more controlled and efficient movements that imitate those of human hands and fingers. This is especially critical while performing surgery on children and infants who have smaller, more delicate features. This particular type of robotic surgery provides a shorter surgery and post-op recovery time for its patients and is far less disfiguring than more traditional techniques.

Dr. Tong and Dr. Tanaka are both excited to offer this innovative surgical approach to their patients and believe that the DaVinci robot will play a beneficial role in further providing minimally invasive and effective treatments at Children’s of Alabama.

Read More: With new surgical robot, urology team can better serve patients