Wirginia Maixner
Encyclopedia
Wirginia June Maixner is an Australia
n neurosurgeon
and the director of neurosurgery at the Royal Children's Hospital
in Melbourne
, Australia. She is known for having performed the first auditory brainstem implant on a child in Australasia in 2007, and later having separated the conjoined twins, Trishna and Krishna in 2009.
's northern beaches
. Her father was a window dresser father and her mother, a public servant. Her parents encouraged her to do anything she wanted with her life, and, inspired by her aunt who was Australia's first female flying doctor, she pursued a career in medicine and surgery.
, and in 1986 graduated from the University of Sydney
's School of Medicine
with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery. She became the third woman accepted into the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
four-year neurosurgery training program, and in the early 1990s, when half way through her training, she became pregnant with her now-teenage daughter. She remained in the program and became the first person to be granted maternity leave
by the Australian Royal College of Surgeons. Maixner went on to complete her training as a single parent and later spent two years in Paris
and Canada
gaining international hospital experience.
From October 2001 until July 2004 Maixner served on the Victorian Surgical Consultative Council, a special purpose council established in 2001 by the then-Minister of Health
, John Thwaites
, which reports to the Minister for Health and analyses, studies and reports on potentially preventable surgical deaths in Victoria, with the aim of improving the safety and quality of surgery in Victoria.
On 16 May 2007, Maixner worked with Rob Briggs, the medical director
at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital's Cochlear Implant
Clinic and using "pioneering technology" they performed the first auditory brainstem implant
on a child in Australasia
. At the time, the surgery was hailed as an advancement that "could pave the way for revolutionary advances in medicine".
Between 30–31 August 2009, Maixner presented at the XIV World Congress of Neurological Surgery in Boston
, Massachusetts
as a faculty member of the "Pediatric Neurosurgery: An Overview with Sub-specialty Applications" program and as a panelist on the "Chiari Type I Malformation in Children" discussion panel.
On 16 and 17 November 2009, Maixner led a team of 16 neurosurgeons, plastic surgeons, and other specialist medical staff at the Royal Children's Hospital in the 32-hour "groundbreaking surgery" to successfully separate three-year-old Bangladesh
i conjoined twins
, Trishna and Krishna. The twins were found in 2007 by two Australian Aid
volunteers in Mother Teresa
's orphanage
in Dhaka
and brought to Australia by Moira Kelly
and the Children First Foundation for life saving medical treatment, which involved a series of operations in January, February, March, May, October, and November 2008 and January and August 2009, in preparation for the final separation in November 2009. Maixner had performed four major operations on the twins to separate and close shared blood vessels and insert tissue expanders
and prior to the final surgery, she gave the twins a 25 percent chance of surviving the operation, a 25 percent chance of dying and a 50 percent chance of suffering "catastrophic" brain damage
, but without surgical intervention, both children would die. On 19 November 2009, Maixner told the press that Trishna had woken from the medically induced coma. Krishna began to wake up on 20 November 2009. On 21 December 2009, five weeks after the surgery to separate the twins, they were released from the hospital.
On 26 November 2009, Maixner and other members of the medical and surgical team who cared for Trishna and Krishna were honoured with a civic reception hosted at Government House
in Melbourne by Governor of Victoria, David de Kretser
and Premier John Brumby
.
In December 2009 and January 2010, the media began speculating that Maixner would be nominated for Australian of the Year
.
Maixner and fellow Royal Children's Hospital neurosurgeon Alison Wray began sitting for Australian artist Raelene Sharp in December 2009. Sharpe's portrait of the surgeons will be submitted to the Australian portrait competition, the Archibald Prize
. The competition will be judged in March 2010 and carries a A$50,000 prize. Maixner was also featured in a photo shoot by Australian Women's Weekly
in December 2009.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n neurosurgeon
Neurosurgery
Neurosurgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spine, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and extra-cranial cerebrovascular system.-In the United States:In...
and the director of neurosurgery at the Royal Children's Hospital
Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne
The Royal Children's Hospital is a major children's hospital in Melbourne, Australia.As the major paediatric hospital in Victoria, the Royal Children's Hospital and offers a full range of clinical services, tertiary care and health promotion and prevention programs for children and adolescents...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia. She is known for having performed the first auditory brainstem implant on a child in Australasia in 2007, and later having separated the conjoined twins, Trishna and Krishna in 2009.
Early life
Maixner grew up on SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
's northern beaches
Northern Beaches (Sydney)
The Northern Beaches is an informal term used to describe the northern coastal suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, located near the coast of the Pacific Ocean...
. Her father was a window dresser father and her mother, a public servant. Her parents encouraged her to do anything she wanted with her life, and, inspired by her aunt who was Australia's first female flying doctor, she pursued a career in medicine and surgery.
Education
Maixner attended Sancta Sophia College, University of SydneySancta Sophia College, University of Sydney
Sancta Sophia College, or simply Sancta, is a Catholic residential college at the University of Sydney. The college admits female undergraduate and male and female postgraduate students...
, and in 1986 graduated from the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
's School of Medicine
University of Sydney Faculty of Medicine
Sydney Medical School is the graduate medical school of the University of Sydney, and is widely regarded as one of the most highly rated education and research institutions of the Asia Pacific region...
with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery. She became the third woman accepted into the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons is the body responsible for training and examining surgeons in Australia and New Zealand. The head office of the College is in Melbourne, Australia....
four-year neurosurgery training program, and in the early 1990s, when half way through her training, she became pregnant with her now-teenage daughter. She remained in the program and became the first person to be granted maternity leave
Parental leave
Parental leave is an employee benefit that provides paid or unpaid time off work to care for a child or make arrangements for the child's welfare. Often, the term parental leave includes maternity, paternity, and adoption leave...
by the Australian Royal College of Surgeons. Maixner went on to complete her training as a single parent and later spent two years in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
gaining international hospital experience.
Royal Children's Hospital
Maixner was appointed to the position of Director of the Royal Children's Hospital Neurosurgery Department in 2001, becoming one of the youngest neurosurgery department heads in Australia and the first female head of neurosurgery at the Children's Hospital.From October 2001 until July 2004 Maixner served on the Victorian Surgical Consultative Council, a special purpose council established in 2001 by the then-Minister of Health
Health minister
A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services....
, John Thwaites
John Thwaites
John Thwaites may refer to:*John Thwaites *John Thwaites *John Anthony Thwaites , British art critic and author*Jack Thwaites, British-Australian conservationist...
, which reports to the Minister for Health and analyses, studies and reports on potentially preventable surgical deaths in Victoria, with the aim of improving the safety and quality of surgery in Victoria.
Achievements
In 2006, Maixner was credited with performing "ground-breaking" surgery when she operated on a three-year-old girl to successfully stop seizures caused by a rare genetic condition. Maixner told media at the time that the surgery was of the same complexity as open-heart surgery.On 16 May 2007, Maixner worked with Rob Briggs, the medical director
Medical director
As laboratory director,means that you are responsible for the overall operation and administration of the laboratory, including the employment of competentqualified personnel. Even though you have the option to delegate some...
at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital's Cochlear Implant
Cochlear implant
A cochlear implant is a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing...
Clinic and using "pioneering technology" they performed the first auditory brainstem implant
Auditory brainstem implant
An Auditory Brain Stem Implant is a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf, due to sensorineural hearing impairment .The auditory brain stem implant uses similar technology as the cochlear implant, but...
on a child in Australasia
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
. At the time, the surgery was hailed as an advancement that "could pave the way for revolutionary advances in medicine".
Between 30–31 August 2009, Maixner presented at the XIV World Congress of Neurological Surgery in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
as a faculty member of the "Pediatric Neurosurgery: An Overview with Sub-specialty Applications" program and as a panelist on the "Chiari Type I Malformation in Children" discussion panel.
On 16 and 17 November 2009, Maixner led a team of 16 neurosurgeons, plastic surgeons, and other specialist medical staff at the Royal Children's Hospital in the 32-hour "groundbreaking surgery" to successfully separate three-year-old Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
i conjoined twins
Conjoined twins
Conjoined twins are identical twins whose bodies are joined in utero. A rare phenomenon, the occurrence is estimated to range from 1 in 50,000 births to 1 in 100,000 births, with a somewhat higher incidence in Southwest Asia and Africa. Approximately half are stillborn, and a smaller fraction of...
, Trishna and Krishna. The twins were found in 2007 by two Australian Aid
Aid
In international relations, aid is a voluntary transfer of resources from one country to another, given at least partly with the objective of benefiting the recipient country....
volunteers in Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
's orphanage
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
in Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
and brought to Australia by Moira Kelly
Moira Kelly (humanitarian)
Moira Kelly is an Australian humanitarian worker. In 2001 she was awarded the Order of Australia in recognition of her humanitarian service to both the Australian and international communities...
and the Children First Foundation for life saving medical treatment, which involved a series of operations in January, February, March, May, October, and November 2008 and January and August 2009, in preparation for the final separation in November 2009. Maixner had performed four major operations on the twins to separate and close shared blood vessels and insert tissue expanders
Tissue expansion
Tissue expansion is a technique used by plastic and restorative surgeons to cause the body to grow additional skin, bone or other tissues.-Skin expansion:...
and prior to the final surgery, she gave the twins a 25 percent chance of surviving the operation, a 25 percent chance of dying and a 50 percent chance of suffering "catastrophic" brain damage
Brain damage
"Brain damage" or "brain injury" is the destruction or degeneration of brain cells. Brain injuries occur due to a wide range of internal and external factors...
, but without surgical intervention, both children would die. On 19 November 2009, Maixner told the press that Trishna had woken from the medically induced coma. Krishna began to wake up on 20 November 2009. On 21 December 2009, five weeks after the surgery to separate the twins, they were released from the hospital.
On 26 November 2009, Maixner and other members of the medical and surgical team who cared for Trishna and Krishna were honoured with a civic reception hosted at Government House
Government House, Melbourne
Government House, Melbourne is the office and official residence of the Governor of Victoria. It is set next to the Royal Botanic Gardens and surrounded by Kings Domain in Melbourne. It was the official residence of the Governor-General of Australia from 1901 to 1930...
in Melbourne by Governor of Victoria, David de Kretser
David de Kretser
David Morritz de Kretser, AC is an Australian medical researcher and a former Governor of Victoria from 2006 to 2011.-Biography:...
and Premier John Brumby
John Brumby
John Mansfield Brumby , is an Australian Labor Party politician who was Premier of Victoria from 2007 to 2010. He became Premier after the resignation of Steve Bracks. He also served as the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and the Minister for Multicultural Affairs. He contested his first election...
.
In December 2009 and January 2010, the media began speculating that Maixner would be nominated for Australian of the Year
Australian of the Year
Since 1960 the Australian of the Year Award has been part of the celebrations surrounding Australia Day , during which time the award has grown steadily in significance to become Australia’s pre-eminent award. The Australian of the Year announcement has become a very prominent part of the annual...
.
Maixner and fellow Royal Children's Hospital neurosurgeon Alison Wray began sitting for Australian artist Raelene Sharp in December 2009. Sharpe's portrait of the surgeons will be submitted to the Australian portrait competition, the Archibald Prize
Archibald Prize
The Archibald Prize is regarded as the most important portraiture prize in Australia. It was first awarded in 1921 after a bequest from J. F. Archibald, the editor of The Bulletin who died in 1919...
. The competition will be judged in March 2010 and carries a A$50,000 prize. Maixner was also featured in a photo shoot by Australian Women's Weekly
Australian Women's Weekly
The Australian Women's Weekly is an Australian monthly women's magazine published by ACP Magazines, a division of PBL Media based in Sydney. Audited circulation in 2009 exceeded 500,000 copies monthly, making it the largest magazine in Australia.-History:...
in December 2009.
Publications
- Maixner, Wirginia J. (Editor), and Cinalli, Giuseppe (Editor), Sainte-Rose, Christian (Editor), Pediatric Hydrocephalus, Springer, USA, 9 November 2004, ISBN 8847002257
- Maixner, Wirginia; Kornberg, Andrew; Harvey, Simon; Nash, Margot; "Neurological condition", in Paediatric Handbook, Wiley-Blackwell, 5 August 2005, ISBN 978-0867934311
- Maixner, Wirginia J. (Editor), and Özek, M. Memet, Editor), Cinalli, Giuseppe (Editor), Spina Bifida: Management and Outcome, Springer, USA, 7 July 2008, ISBN 8847006503
- Maxiner, Wirginia; Skelton, Ruth; Isaacs, David; "Sinusitis-induced subdural empyema", Disease in Childhood - The Journal of the British Paediatric Association, December 1992
- Maixner, Wirginia; Sekhon, Lali H. S.; Morgan, Michael K.; Besser, Michael; "Controversies in the Management of Brainstem Cavernous Angioma:Report of Two Cases", Journal of Surgery, 1992 62(10) 763-767
- Maixner, Wirginia; Caruso, Denise A.; Orme, Lisa M.; Neale,Alana M.; Radcliff, Fiona J.; Amor, Gerlinda M.; Downie, Peter; Hassall, Timothy E.; Tang, Mimi L.K.; and Ashley, David M.; "Results of a phase 1 study utilizing monocyte-derived dendritic cells pulsed with tumor RNA in children and young adults with brain cancer", Neuro-Oncology, 2004 6(3):236-246
- Maixner, Wirginia; Aziz, Azian Abd.; Coleman, Lee; Morokoff, Andrew; "Diffuse choroid plexus hyperplasia: an under-diagnosed cause of hydrocephalus in children?", Pediatric Radiology, Volume 35, Number 8, August 2005
- Maixner Wirginia;Heggie AA; Holmes A; Greensmith A; Meara J; Low P; "Complete correction of severe scaphocephaly: total vault remodelling with occipital elevation", International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 2005; 34(Supp 1–029.1):57.
- Maixner, Wirginia, "Hypothalamic hamartomas—clinical, neuropathological and surgical aspects",Child's Nervous System, Volume 22, Number 8, August 2006
- Maixner, Wirginia; Haloi, Achyut K.; Ditchfield, Michael; "Mucocele of the sphenoid sinus", Pediatric Radiology, Volume 36, Number 9, September 2006
- Maixner, Wirginia, and Stargatt, Robyn; Rosenfeld, Jeffrey V.; Anderson, Vicki; Hassall, Timothy; Ashley, David; "Intelligence and adaptive function in children diagnosed with brain tumour during infancy", Journal of Neuro-Oncology, Volume 80, Number 3, December 2006
- Maixner, Wirginia; Gonzales, Michael; Dale, Susan; Susman, Marleen; Nolan, Prudence; Ng Wai, Hoe; Laidlaw, John; "Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor (DNT)-like oligodendrogliomas or Dnts evolving into oligodendrogliomas: two illustrative cases", Neuropathology : official journal of the Japanese Society of Neuropathology, 2007;27(4):324-30
- Maixner, Wirginia; Josan, Vivek; Smith, Paul; Kornberg, Andrew; Rickert, Christian; "Development of a pilocytic astrocytoma in a dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor. Case report," Journal of Neurosurgery, 2007;106(6 Suppl):509-12
- Maixner, Wirginia; Stargatt, Robyn; Rosenfeld, Jeffrey V; ; Ashley, David; "Multiple factors contribute to neuropsychological outcome in children with posterior fossa tumors", Developmental Neuropsychology, 2007;32(2):729-48
- Maixner, W, and Poomthavorn,P, Zacharin, M, "Pituitary function in paediatric survivors of severe traumatic brain injury", Archives of Disease in Childhood, February 2008; 93: 133 - 137