“It was a crazy, scary experience but the doctors and nurses-absolutely everyone
at Advocate Children’s Hospital- were amazing.”
Jill Lenzen, Brock’s mom
Their pediatrician immediately sent them to Advocate
Children’s Hospital – Oak Lawn, where they learned
Brock’s ears were not the problem. Blood tests indicated
an infection, so he was admitted and just a few hours
later underwent a procedure to draw fluid from his left hip.
When pediatric orthopedic surgeon Prasad Gourineni, MD,
came into Brock’s room that evening, he explained that
Brock had a septic left hip requiring emergency surgery.
Jill and her husband were shown the fluid taken from his
hip, which should be clear but was instead yellow.
“Children with septic hip, which is a relatively uncommon
problem, have bacteria within the hip joint,” explains
Dr. Gourineni. “The infection can damage the cartilage
permanently; therefore it is critical that surgery is
performed quickly to clean out the infection to prevent
lasting joint damage.”
Within hours Brock underwent hip arthroscopy, a
minimally invasive method using a scope to flush out the
infection through one tiny incision. The procedure was
successful. Following an eight-day hospitalization, Brock
was discharged to go home with an intravenous line for
three weeks of antibiotics. His treatment also included six
weeks of oral antibiotics.
Brock and his mother, Jill, at home in Orland Park
“In the first sets of x-rays post-procedure, there was
concern that his left hip bone wasn’t forming,” Jill shares.
“His last x-ray showed it is now at 80 percent of what it
should be. That said, it hasn’t slowed him down at all.
You’d never know there was ever anything wrong.”
Thankfully, Brock did not require any physical therapy,
and he started walking without delay or complication at
12 months old and hasn’t stopped moving since. He has
x-rays taken every six months, all which have been clear
thus far. Brock will continue to be followed under the care
of Dr. Gourineni until he turns 14.
“It was a crazy, scary experience, but the doctors and
nurses—absolutely everyone at Advocate Children’s
Hospital—were amazing,” Jill says. “We look forward
to continuing our care with the orthopedics team there
and will go back in a heartbeat if we ever have any other
needs for Brock.”
Always on the move, Brock scoots around the living room.