Pediatric orthopedic team builds special table when supply chain fails

Date: 08/02/2022

Bangor, Maine (August 2, 2022) – Delayed delivery does not mean a delay in patient care.  William Bassett, MD, pediatric orthopedic surgeon, Northern Light Pediatric Orthopedics, ordered a Mehta Table, which was on backorder. The table is used to treat infantile scoliosis through a series of casts that de-rotate and straighten the spine.
 
As the only pediatric orthopedic surgeon in the state, Dr. Bassett knew that families would have to travel to Boston to receive care for this condition. When he met a mother whose child was diagnosed with infantile scoliosis and could not travel for treatment, Dr. Bassett and his team got to work building their own specialized table.
 
Dr. Bassett and the Pediatric Orthopedic team researched how Mehta Tables are made and created a plan. They reached out to a vendor who sells orthopedic traction materials and secured parts that would provide patient stabilization and support. Dr. Bassett connected with operating room leaders and the Clinical Engineering department to review his work and received approval all around; it was deemed safe for patient care.
 
“Ensuring patients receive this treatment quickly after diagnosis means we can effectively cure infants of their spine curvature over a series of months,” Dr. Bassett says. “We were able to provide this specialized treatment quickly and locally, without sending this family to Boston for care. It’s made a huge difference for them, and that feels good.”