TOP DOCTORS 2024: Pediatric Surgery Q&As

Dr. Laura A. Boomer, assistant professor, Division of General Pediatric Surgery; surgical director of NICU and PICU, Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, Richmond

Education: Bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Marquette University; medical degree, University of Toledo; general surgery residency, University of Nevada School of Medicine; surgical critical care and advanced minimally invasive and robotic surgery training, Nationwide Children’s Hospital; pediatric surgery fellowship, LeBonheur Children’s Hospital and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Family: My parents split their time between Lake George in Indiana and Marco Island, Florida. My sister and two nieces, Nora and Payton, live in Toledo, Ohio.

Career mentors: My primary mentors in residency were Dr. John Gosche and Dr. Alex Feliz. Both Dr. Gail Besner (Columbus) and Dr. Eunice Huang (now at Vanderbilt) have mentored me through the challenges of being a woman in surgery. Here at ChoR, I am lucky enough to call Dr. Jeff Haynes my primary mentor. 

Favorite dish: Though I love to cook, I’m not sure I have a favorite dish. My favorite cooking tradition is Thanksgiving Day — every year, my parents come to Richmond, and together we cook a feast for residents, nurses, nurse practitioners and other colleagues of mine who can’t be home with their loved ones for the holiday. 

How do you put your patients and their parents at ease? I think the most important thing is just trying to take the time to make sure they understand everything. In particular, for my patients with complex oncology diagnoses or congenital anomalies, I like to have multiple conversations leading up to expected longer procedures. It is important to also make sure to address the children and adolescents directly in an age-appropriate way so that they fully understand. 

Dr. David Lanning

Associate chief medical officer, Children’s Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University; professor, Division of General Pediatric Surgery, Richmond

Other medical specialties: General pediatric surgery and adolescent bariatric (weight loss) surgery

Education: General surgery training at VCU; pediatric surgery fellowship at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan

Family: Wife Emily and three kids — Eric, 15; Meredith, 17; and Dresden, 18

Career mentors: For clinical work, Dr. Charles Bagwell, chief of general pediatric surgery at CHoR; and from an administrative standpoint, Dr. Ron Clark

Your favorite dish: Chicken tikka masala

Your hobby: Racing my Mazda Miata

How do you help put parents of your patients at ease? Truly listening to them and hearing their concerns. Sitting down with the patient and their family, and also telling them I will treat their child like they’re my own.

What innovations in pediatric surgery are you excited about? I am excited about the advancements in metabolic and bariatric surgery for adolescent patients and the continued evidence in favor of this approach for many patients. Also, I am excited about our increased utilization of the da Vinci surgical robot, as well as performing laparoscopic gastroesophageal dissociation procedures in appropriately selected patients.

Read the 2024 Pediatric Surgery Top Doctors list. 

Click here to read the rest of 2024 Top Doctors.