It only took 15 minutes, but the first surgery performed at Children's Hospital Boston at Waltham has 8-year-old Adam Hall of Williamstown, Mass., seeing things a whole lot differently.
On July 24, he became the first patient to have surgery in one of Waltham's two new operating rooms when Ophthalmologist-in-Chief David Hunter, MD, PhD, gave him an injection of BOTOX to correct the strabismus that affected both of his eyes.
Adam and his mom, Valerie Hall, agree that the calming environment at Waltham, along with its courteous staff, largely cured their jitters. "The waiting area is just beautiful," says Valerie. "Between the fish tank and the table games, there's plenty to keep kids entertained." The administrative staff also made the Halls feel right at home. "Everyone was so welcoming and greeted us by name," she says.
While the operating rooms on Longwood Avenue in Boston are ideally outfitted for longer, more complex procedures, those in Waltham offer a more
manageable, adaptable space for surgeons conducting shorter procedures. With both choices available,
patients and physicians alike can look forward to quicker access and the optimal environment, regardless of the surgery to be performed.
The Surgery Center at Waltham is scheduled to open two additional ORs in October, and a 10-chair infusion unit and 11-bed post-op short stay unit will open by March of next year. Radiology continues to expand with MRI and Nuclear Medicine just added to the already-available plain film, ultrasound and fluoroscopy capabilities.
