Free Republic

Three out of 10 specialist units will stop performing heart surgery on children following an NHS review which decided resources were spread too thinly. The Royal Brompton in Chelsea, west London, Leeds General Infirmary and Glenfield Hospital in Leicester will not stop providing surgery immediately as plans to implement the new streamlined service are still being developed. Once they stop providing surgery, probably after 2013, the units will still see patients for diagnosis, monitoring and non-surgical treatment. The consultation process by the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts (JCPCT) of England

ATLANTA - The first of a series of operations for Baby Noor, an Iraqi infant who has severe birth defects of the spine, was successful Monday, a hospital spokesman said. Three-month-old Noor al-Zahra was "doing well" and was in recovery Monday morning at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, said hospital spokesman Kevin McClelland. McClelland said in a statement that she "will reunite with her family within the hour." Hospital officials declined to release additional information, saying more details will be released at a 4:30 p.m. news conference. Baby Noor has spina bifida, in which the backbone and spinal cord do not...