>> WITH BOTH THE VEPTR AND THE GROWING ROD SURGERIES,
GENERALLY WE'RE GOING BACK EVERY 6 TO 8 MONTHS AND LENGTHENING
THE DEVICE.
>> WE ACCESS THE DEVICES THROUGH ABOUT A ONE-INCH INCISION.
UNLOCK THEM, EXPAND THEM, AND THEN RELOCK THEM.
>> TYPICALLY, THESE ARE OUTPATIENT PROCEDURES ARE MUCH BETTER TOLERATED.
>> RECOVERY FROM A LENGTHENING IS SO MUCH QUICKER.
>> WE'RE AT THE POINT NOW WHERE WE'RE IN AND OUT WITHIN A DAY OR SO.
I'M HOPING TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE OUT THE SAME DAY.
>> BUT IT'S AN ADDITIONAL OPERATION, AND I THINK NOBODY WOULD CHOOSE
TO HAVE THAT IF THEY DIDN'T NEED TO.
SO, I THINK, THE KIDS ARE EXTRAORDINARY IN WHAT THEY'RE
ABLE TO DEAL WITH.
>> MY DAUGHTER IS GOING TO BE 9, AND SHE'S HEALTHY, HAPPY,
DOING EVERYTHING THAT SHE CAN DO.
>> ONE OF THE UP SIDES OF CARING FOR YOUNG CHILDREN--
ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES IS THAT THEY'RE SO RESILIENT.
>> I'VE HAD CHILDREN WITH VEPTRS IN PLAYING FOOTBALL,
SOCCER, THERE'S NO RESTRICTION WHATSOEVER.
>> I CAN RUN.
I CAN, LIKE, JUMP ON THE BEDS, EVEN THOUGH I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO.
>> SHE HAS GOT A SPIRIT ABOUT HER.
SHE'LL TRY ANYTHING.
LIKE THE ART MUSEUM STEPS.
>> AND AS SOON AS WE GOT THERE I DID THE ROCKY THING,
AND THEN THERE WAS MORE STAIRS TO DO.
>> THE CHILDREN WITH THESE DEVICES-- GENERALLY DON'T NOTICE THEM.
>> ONCE WE'VE HIT 10, 11, 12 YEARS OF AGE,
THE NEED TO LENGTHEN THE SPINE OR DISTRACT AND IMPROVE
THE SITUATION MORE DIMINISHES.
SO THOSE PATIENTS ARE PRETTY MUCH AT THE END OF THE ROAD
FOR THEIR SURGERY.
AND THE "GROWING ROD GRADUATES" AS WE CALL THEM ARE BECOMING
MORE AND MORE COMMON.
>> DR. CAMPBELL IS STARTING TO SEE THE GRADUATION OF HIS OLDEST
VEPTR PATIENTS INTO THE DEFINITIVE TIME WHEN THE SPINE FINISHES GROWING.
>> WE FEEL THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT FOR THESE CHILDREN,
BUT WE DON'T KNOW HOW BRIGHT.
>> THESE KIDS TRULY ARE PIONEERS.
WE DON'T KNOW WHETHER THEY'LL OUTGROW THEIR LUNG FUNCTION AGAIN.
MOST CHILDREN UNTREATED WOULD PROBABLY HAVE A VERY DIM FUTURE--
A LIFE EXPECTANCY LIMITED.
>> TWENTY YEARS AGO, THEY WOULD NOT LIVE PAST 3 TO 4 YEARS OF AGE
WITH THE DIAGNOSIS THEY HAVE.
>> ARE THESE CHILDREN GOING TO SEE 70 OR 80 YEARS?
WE DON'T KNOW.
BUT IT'S LOOKING VERY HOPEFUL RIGHT NOW.
>> WE CHALLENGE EACH OTHER.
WE NEVER ASSUME THAT WHAT WE DO IS AS GOOD AS IT CAN GET.
>> THERE'S A CONSTANT NEED TO IMPROVE THINGS.
>> WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR A BETTER WAY.
SOMETHING THAT'S SAFER.
SOMETHING THAT'S EASIER ON THE PATIENT AND FAMILY.
>> ONE OF THE NICE THINGS ABOUT WORKING AT CHOP IS BECAUSE
OF THE SIZE AND THE RESOURCES BEHIND IT, THERE'S THE ABILITY TO TAKE NEW
AND NOVEL IDEAS AND DEVELOP THEM EFFECTIVELY.
>> I THINK WE'RE GOING TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE THE TECHNIQUES
ARE SAFER.
THEY'RE LESS INVASIVE.
THEY'RE MORE CONSISTENT.
>> AND HOPEFULLY, THE VEPTR DEVICE WILL BE OBSOLETE AT SOME POINT
BECAUSE SOMETHING A LOT BETTER EXISTS FOR TREATMENT OF THESE CHILDREN.
>> WHO KNOWS WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS AS FAR AS THE DEVICES GO?
>> IF YOU JUST LOOK AT THE PACKAGE THAT A FAMILY IS OFFERED TODAY
COMPARED TO 15 YEARS AGO AND YOU PROJECT THAT FORWARD
10 OR 15 YEARS, I THINK IT'S REALLY HOPEFUL.
>> CHOP IS A PLACE WHERE HOPE LIVES, SO IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY
TO TRY TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS THAT DIDN'T HAVE SOLUTIONS BEFORE
OR ARE EXTRAORDINARILY CHALLENGING.