>> Hi, my name is Shaun Kunisaki,
and I'm a general pediatric surgeon
within the Division of General Pediatric Surgery
here at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center.
In the specialty of pediatric surgery,
I practice the full breadth,
which includes often operating on children
who need abdominal surgery, for example,
to solve problems with the intestines,
the stomach, as well as the appendix.
I operate on children of all ages
and I've been doing that for over a decade now.
Whenever possible, I try to use
minimally invasive surgical approaches,
which involve making small incisions
using sophisticated surgical instruments,
which enable a faster recovery and minimal scarring.
Within my specialty, I'm known both regionally
as well as nationally for my work
in pediatric chest surgery, or thoracic surgery.
Or I take care of infants and children
who have problems dealing with the esophagus,
lungs, as well as the diaphragm.
I'm very passionate about taking care
of children with these rare disorders,
and I'm fortunate that I've received the mentorship
as well as surgical training to enable
some of the best possible outcomes in these cases.
My research is consistent with the mission
of the Johns Hopkins Children's Center,
and that is to improve upon today's medical
and surgical care of children,
so that future children can have even better outcomes.
So when I'm not in the operating room
or in the clinic, I'm often in the laboratory
where I lead a team of scientists
where we're working on novel approaches
to both better understand as well as treat
various major birth defects which range
from things like spina bifida,
where there is a hole in the back
of the spinal cord which can lead
to a lot of issues such as paralysis,
to congenital diaphragmatic hernia,
which is a disorder in which the lungs are
abnormally small and don't function very well at birth.
I originally became a physician
because I wanted to follow in the footsteps
of my father, who was a young African-American physician
who unfortunately died when I was only six weeks old.
So he obviously left a legacy,
although certainly I didn't know him,
and I wanted to pursue the unfinished business
that he had left behind,
in terms of helping others.
When I graduated from Harvard Medical School,
I knew I wanted to be a pediatric surgeon
for a number of reasons.
First, I absolutely love taking care of children.
Children are amazing, exciting,
fun to be around, and I really enjoy working
with families from all walks of life
and helping them through this healing journey.
I also went into pediatric surgery because I
thoroughly enjoy the privilege and honor
of taking care of patients.
I develop trust in parents that enables me
to operate on their most prized possession in life,
that is their son or daughter.
It's not your house or your car,
or your job that's the most important thing,
it's your children, and that's very powerful
and I'm honored to be a part of that process.
My philosophy of patient care is based on the premise that,
I actually have six children of my own.
So when I take care of a patient,
I treat them as if I would want my own son
or daughter to be treated.
The child is a whole person, and not just someone
who has a surgical problem,
and every family is unique and should be treated
with the warmth and compassion that they deserve.
I've performed thousands and thousands
of operations on children, but I always try
to be aware of the fact that no matter how small
the problem is, is that surgery can be terrifying
for both the child as well as their families,
and so my approach is to address
these problems in a calm and thoughtful manner.
I am an educator and I try to leave ample time
to answer any questions that they may have.
(children talking)
(children laughing)