Under the microscope
As Head of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine at Royal Columbian Hospital, Dr. Reza Alaghehbandan is part of a team that is central to the care of patients. The lab plays a major role in over 80-percent of medical diagnoses, providing answers to questions that cannot be answered by speaking with the patient or from basic physical exams or radiographic images.
Hope Annis’s Story
It was during Vicki Foley’s 20-week ultrasound that they discovered fetal measurements were about a month behind schedule. Thus began regular monitoring and eventually a planned delivery at 37 weeks. While Royal Columbian Hospital’s Variety Neonatal Intensive Care Unit looked after baby Hope for her first few weeks, it took genetic testing to offer an explanation for the newborn’s small size. She was diagnosed with a rare chromosomal condition known as Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome.