Resting Well

Dr. Herz, the urologist who performed Thien Nhan's urethral dilation on Thursday morning, reports that the procedure went well. Dr. Herz enlarged the boy's urethral opening and stitched it to the skin to hold it open with sutures that will dissolve. A scope revealed that Thien Nhan's urinary system is in good shape and his kidneys are normal. His existing urethra is of a length that will make the future grafting of the urethral tube --which will be built using tissue from the inside of his cheek -- much easier. About one third of his penis remains, which is good news for future reconstruction. He will also have control of his bladder functions. At this stage Thien Nhan's testosterone levels could not be ascertained by a blood test. This test will be performed when he is near or at puberty. Thien Nhan is now in great hands, recuperating at the home of Dartmouth Center nurse Jennifer Ames. [The photo shows Thien Nhan being comforted by his parents post-surgery.]

Thanks to the medical team for their expertise and compassion: Dr. Daniel Herz , Dr. Levi Deters, Dr. Jennifer O'Flarhety, Dr. Christopher Rinaud, Jennifer Ames and Diane Beattie.

At the Doctors' Office

On Tuesday, Thien Nhan was examined by pediatric urologist Dr. Daniel Herz (in photo) and rehab physician Dr. Robert Deters at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. On Thursday, Dr. Herz will perform a urethral dilation, and use an internal scope to determine the condition of Thien Nhan's urethra in order to plan for future reconstructive surgery. The child's urethra may need to be reattached to the skin. Thien Nhan will be put under anesthesia during the procedure and have a catheter inserted for about three days afterwards. The doctors will also run blood tests to ascertain Thien Nhan's testosterone levels so as to establish what type of hormone therapy might be needed in the future. Based on his initial exam, Dr. Herz was optimistic that the core genital structure remains, which is good news for Thien Nhan's future reconstructive surgery.