We are thrilled that Andy will be having surgery at Children's Hospital in Los Angeles to remove his hemangioma. After consulting doctors in our area, they adopted a "wait and see" approach. We were told that surgery was inevitable, but we would have to wait a few years for the hemangioma to shrink  and give more of a lip line to work with. This was disappointing as the hemangioma had grown quite large and was clearly visible on Andy's face. We braced ourselves and resolved to the fact that we would have to wait somewhere between 2-5 years before anything could be done. Our pediatrician informed us that the hemangioma would most likely interfere with Andy's speech so she recommended that we go ahead and line up a speech therapist. We were also warned that the pressure on Andy's gums could interfere with his teeth. Needless to say, we were frustrated by having to take a reactive instead of a pro-active role in our son's care. Our minds wondered how Andy would be received by other children. Would he be teased? Would he walk around with a complex? Is this something that could affect him socially? Andy is a very friendly, outgoing baby who loves people. It saddened us to think that his condition could ultimately altar his personality. A few friends suggested that we get a second opinion. This sounded like a great idea so we began searching. Once again we became frustrated because to our surprise, all the names I came across were somehow affiliated with the surgeon we had already consulted. It wasn't until my sister in law went to a chili cook-off that we had some more hope. My sister-in-law happened to meet a woman whose child had a hemangioma on his lip and they ended up seeking treatment in California. The results of surgery were amazing and it was difficult to tell that the hemangioma was ever present! I was overjoyed in hearing this and felt like we finally had another avenue to persue. I'm not sure why I hadn't thought of going outside our area for treatment. I suppose it had something to do with our insurance coverage always having to be "in network" so I never thought about seeking treatment in another state. I also believed that the Greater Washington area (in particular Children's Hospital in D.C.) was cutting-edge, and if they said surgery wasn't an option right now, then it wasn't. Hearing a story of another family in Northern Virginia traveling to California to have a hemangioma removed was like a dream come true. I immediately began doing research on pediatric plastic surgeons in California. I discovered that Children's Hospital in Los Angels has its own pediatric plastic surgery center. One of their specialties is hemangiomas! I contacted the Head of Plastic Surgery, Dr. John Reinisch. After reviewing photos of Andy's hemangioma and receiving information about his health (prematurity) and what the doctors here were saying, he agreed to take the case. Dr. Reinish sent pictures of surgeries he's done on patients similar to Andy. We were surprised to learn that most of his patients reside outside of California and even from out of the country! We understand that results cannot be guaranteed, but we (along with Dr. Reinisch) remain confident that the surgery will be successful and is the best thing for Andy.