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Bringing the Disciplines Together

Houston Methodist has a sprawling campus with many medical disciplines practiced. Sometimes, these needs overlap for patients, but the thought of traveling from one end of the campus to another might be daunting or sometimes even inconvenient. For the physicians, it causes a delay in forming treatment plans.

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To address this concern, Professor and Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Mas Takashima, MD, made it a priority to create a center where physicians from multiple disciplines could come together to discuss treatment of specific patients. So much more than simple communication happens when the physicians are all together and face to face.
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While we’re dealing with complex brain tumors, we should have a system in place to expand the scope of surgical possibilities. We can be talking with the endocrinologist, the neurosurgeons and the otolaryngologist all in a single physical place.
Mas Takashima, MD
To address this concern, Professor and Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Mas Takashima, MD, made it a priority to create a center where physicians from multiple disciplines could come together to discuss treatment of specific patients. So much more than simple communication happens when the physicians are all together and face to face.
GettyImages-1074166486.jpg
While we’re dealing with complex brain tumors, we should have a system in place to expand the scope of surgical possibilities. We can be talking with the endocrinologist, the neurosurgeons and the otolaryngologist all in a single physical place.
Mas Takashima, MD
“It's a very multidisciplinary type of setting, and it makes sense in terms of the care of the patient. We can collaborate and come up with a diagnosis and treatment plan for a patient that takes in account all of our viewpoints, and we do this best if we’re all practicing in the same place,” he adds. The patients can be referred to the collaboration by any of the participating physicians, like Ruaa Al-Ward, MD, assistant professor in the department of endocrinology. If Al-Ward sees a patient coming in with a hormonal problem, she will order an MRI. If a tumor is found, she then would call in the team for a consultation and potential surgery. “It's an important collaboration,” said Al-Ward. “There can be high readmission rates in the hospital after such complex surgeries, however, this collaboration prevents this from happening. There’s no waiting for patients; they can see us all together.” The team also includes David S. Baskin, MD, director of the Kenneth R. Peak Brain and Pituitary Tumor Treatment Center and vice chair of neurosurgery. Dale Hamilton, director of the Center for Bioenergetics at Houston Methodist Research Institute, is part of the research team. The physicians currently see patients at the Peak Brain and Pituitary Center in the Houston Methodist Outpatient Center, which offers technology not available at many other places. A Surgical Theater 3-D virtual reality system allows the patient's pathology to be uploaded, giving the surgeons an opportunity to review for surgical planning. Patients also can see the imaging if they choose, which gives them an opportunity to see what exactly the surgeons are going to do and understand the procedure. The patients are also offered the opportunity of seeing their own pathology as well, and most of the patients appreciate that experience.
Mas Takashima, MD
Ruaa Al-Ward, MD
David Baskin, MD
“In this type of setting, we have been able to expand the scope of surgical possibilities with excellent outcomes to cure patients of their skull base and brain tumors from a very small minimally invasive opening through the nose,” Takashima said. Houston Methodist gets referrals for pituitary cases from all over the country and is one of the leading hospitals for caring for pituitary disease and tumors. Takashima wanted to form a multidisciplinary center for excellence in endoscopic pituitary and skull base tumor surgery where the center is an actual physical space, rather than a “virtual” center. The setup here allows the physicians to interact with each other in one location. “Not only does that make patients happier, but also referring doctors are a lot happier, too. There’s just one number for them to call and to give their patients. Everything is taken care of by just that one number.” In addition to excellent patient care, an environment focused specifically on treatment of anterior skull base tumors lends to a diverse range of educational experiences for the residents and fellows on service from each of the specialties involved with the center. Takashima says that learning is disease specific. For instance, an otolaryngology resident learns all aspects of a pituitary adenoma from the perspective of otolaryngology—head and neck surgery, as well as the perspective of neurosurgery and endocrinology. “This interaction also helps further develop collegiality in a team setting,” he says.
Pituitary center advances mission and vision
The new center especially embraces the whole patient experience and allows new technology to be vetted, discussed and potentially be used for improved patient outcomes. A physical center for physicians to interact in person is part of the mission and vision of goals to improve outcomes and strategies for patients’ health.
Mission Statement To provide exceptional, patient-centered care and innovation through a multidisciplinary approach, enhancing the quality of life for individuals with pituitary disorders. We are dedicated to comprehensive, state-of-the-art pituitary surgery, research and education, guided by compassion, excellence and a commitment to improving outcomes. Vision Statement Our vision is to be a globally recognized leader in pituitary surgery and care, setting new standards of excellence in the field. We aspire to empower patients through personalized treatment, advance medical knowledge through groundbreaking research, and educate the next generation of healthcare professionals. Together, we strive to transform the landscape of pituitary disorder management, ultimately improving the lives of countless individuals.