“What’s a Swenson?- Pediatric Surgical M&MC at Regional Children’s Hospitals: Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Opportunity Together”

jpedsurg.org

“What’s a Swenson?” This was the only question our team received at our Surgery Department morbidity and mortality conference (M&MC) after presenting a challenging case where a neonate with midgut volvulus failed to progress on feeds and was then found to also have Hirschsprung’s disease. The silence was deafening to me as a young faculty member in a regional children’s hospital seeking community feedback to sharpen my clinical skills, refine technical approaches, and implement systems-based and evidence-based changes to improve outcomes for my patients.

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Article · Jul 2025 · 1 min read

In brief

A pediatric surgeon at a regional children's hospital reflects on presenting a complex neonatal case involving both midgut volvulus and Hirschsprung's disease at M&M conference, highlighting the challenges of obtaining meaningful peer feedback in smaller practice settings. The experience underscores the need for robust collaborative learning opportunities to support clinical skill development and quality improvement in regional pediatric surgical programs.

Regional children's hospitals may lack pediatric surgery expertise at M&M conferences, limiting peer learning opportunities for faculty.
Dual diagnoses (midgut volvulus + Hirschsprung's) in neonates require multidisciplinary discussion beyond basic procedural knowledge.
Young faculty at regional centers need structured mentorship and external networks to refine clinical decision-making.
M&M conferences should foster systems-based learning, not just procedural familiarity, to improve patient outcomes.
Collaborative networks between regional and tertiary centers can bridge knowledge gaps in complex pediatric surgical cases.

Written by the GCMD Library team from the article.

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