Overview

My research areas reflect my main clinical practice sub-specialities. I have three main areas of research focus including brachial plexus injuries in infants; burns in children and adolescents; and the reconstruction procedures of the cleft lip and palate.

I am interested in how well children function and recover after a surgical procedure. Because children come to me for treatment from all over the province, I have a representative sample of patients from which to draw meaningful conclusions in my research endeavors. As well, I have a strong trainee component to my research and ensure that all appropriate projects have a medical student, resident or fellow involved.

Publications

Pediatric Burns from Glass-Fronted Fireplaces in Canada: A Growing Issue Over the Past 20 Years.
Toor J and Crain J and Kelly C and Verchere C and Fish J
DOI: 10.1097/bcr.0000000000000331
PubMed: 27031430
2016

Parents' experiences of splinting programs for babies with congenital limb anomalies.
Durlacher KM and Verchere C and Zwicker JG
DOI: 10.3233/prm-150337
PubMed: 26410063
2015

Canadian Society of Plastic Surgeons Societe Canadienne des Chirurgiens Plasticiens.
Tredget E and Clarke: H and Taylor C
2015

Minor surgery procedures: A retrospective review and prospective survey in a pediatric population.
Chan E and Bucevska M and Verchere C
PubMed: 26361627
2015

Coordination and balance in children with birth-related brachial plexus injury: a preliminary study.
Bellows D and Bucevska M and Verchere C
DOI: 10.3138/ptc.2013-77
PubMed: 25931660
2015

Additional post-natal diagnoses following antenatal diagnosis of isolated cleft lip +/- palate.
Burnell L and Verchere C and Pugash D and Loock C and Robertson S and Lehman A
DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2013-305390
PubMed: 24625434
07/2014

Microtia Reconstruction and Postsurgical Grisel's Syndrome: A Rare Cause of Torticollis in a Child.
Wang JC and Malic C and Reilly C and Verchere C
DOI: 10.1097/gox.0000000000000117
PubMed: 25289369
06/2014

An early shoulder repositioning program in birth-related brachial plexus injury: a pilot study of the Sup-ER protocol.
Verchere C and Durlacher K and Bellows D and Pike J and Bucevska M
DOI: 10.1007/s11552-014-9625-y
PubMed: 24839420
06/2014

Sup-ER orthosis: an innovative treatment for infants with birth related brachial plexus injury.
Durlacher KM and Bellows D and Verchere C
DOI: 10.1016/j.jht.2014.06.001
PubMed: 25042285
2014

Inpatient silver sulphadiazine versus outpatient nanocrystalline silver models of care for pediatric scald burns: A value analysis.
Malic C and Verchere C and Arneja JS
PubMed: 25114622
2014

Modified slide tracheoplasty in a newborn with bronchial and carinal stenosis.
Fandiño M and Kozak FK and Verchere C and Campbell A
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2013.09.002
PubMed: 24139586
12/2013

Canadian Society of Plastic Surgeons Societe Canadienne des Chirurgiens Plasticiens: Abstracts presented at the 67th Annual Meeting / 67e Reunion annuelle, May 28 – June 1, 2013, Calgary, Alberta.
Ross D and Callaghan WB and Campbell E
2013

Management of congenital midline cervical cleft.
McInnes CW and Benson AD and Verchere CG and Ludemann JP and Arneja JS
DOI: 10.1097/scs.0b013e318241db99
PubMed: 22337458
01/2012

Reconstructive or cosmetic plastic surgery? Factors influencing the type of practice established by Canadian plastic surgeons.
McInnes CW and Courtemanche DJ and Verchere CG and Bush KL and Arneja JS
PubMed: 23997582
2012

Canadian Society of Plastic Surgeons/Societe Canadienne des Chirurgiens Plasticiens: Abstracts presented at the 66th Annual Meeting / 66e Reunion annuelle June 5–9, 2012, Toronto, Ontario.
Bortoluzzi P and Ross D and Anastakis D
2012

Canadian Society of Plastic Surgeons Societe Canadienne des Chirurgiens Plasticiens: Abstracts presented at the 63rd Annual Meeting / 63 Reunion annuelle June 16-20, 2009, Kelowna, British Columbia.
Thoma A and Paletz J and Williamson S
PubMed: 20514162
2009

Monozygotic twins with Apert syndrome.
Breugem CC and Fitzpatrick DF and Verchere C
DOI: 10.1597/06-149.1
PubMed: 18215098
01/2008

The 'dirty lip' trick.
Jones NW and Verchere C
PubMed: 19949503
2008

Canadian Society of Plastic Surgeons Societe Canadienne des Chirurgiens Plasticiens: Abstracts presented at the 62nd Annual Meeting / 62e Reunion annuelle June 24 – 28 2008, St John’s, Newfoundland.
Wilkes G and Thoma A and Rideout A
2008

The transverse figure-of-eight suture for securing the nail.
Bristol SG and Verchere CG
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2006.10.011
PubMed: 17218185
01/2007

Healing at home: Comparing cohorts of children with medium-sized burns treated as outpatients with in-hospital applied Acticoat to those children treated as inpatients with silver sulfadiazine.
Peters DA and Verchere C
DOI: 10.1097/01.bcr.0000200891.56590.3b
PubMed: 16566565
2006

Canadian Society of Plastic Surgeons Societe Canadienne des Chirurgiens Plasticiens: Abstracts presented at the 57th Annual Meeting/57e Reunion annuelle June 25–28 juin, Whistler, British Columbia.
Caouette-Laberge L and Lobay G and Rai DK
2003

A discovery of real medicine.
Pirani Y and Cannon WG and Verchere C
DOI: 10.1080/08941930290085949
PubMed: 12217181
2002

The effect on facial growth of pediatric mandibular fractures.
Demianczuk AN and Verchere C and Phillips JH
PubMed: 10686881
07/1999

Cougar attacks on children: injury patterns and treatment.
Kadesky KM and Manarey C and Blair GK and Murphy JJ and Verchere C and Atkinson K
DOI: 10.1016/s0022-3468(98)90661-3
PubMed: 9660216
06/1998

Enchondroma of the orbit.
Pasternak S and O'Connell JX and Verchere C and Rootman J
DOI: 10.1016/s0002-9394(14)72081-1
PubMed: 8794727
09/1996

Research

The use of Sup-ER Splints to Improve Shoulder External Rotation in Children with Brachial Plexus Injuries
Kim Durlacher, BScOT, is an Occupational Therapist in the Department of Rehabilitation Therapy who has devised a special splinting technique to improve the range of motion of infants with brachial plexus birth palsies. This splint encourages the proper placement of the child's affect arm in supination and external rotation.

Brachial Plexus Birth Palsies
The brachial plexus is a group of nerves that originate in the spinal cord and branch out towards the hands of each arm. During labour, sometimes the infant will become trapped behind the mother’s pubic bones or the doctor needs to assist with the delivery by pulling on the infant’s arm or head. This can lead to tearing of the nerves of the brachial plexus and will result in an arm that is paralyzed with poor circulation. This is called a brachial plexus birth palsy and can range from mild to severe. Children with severe brachial plexus birth palsies can have serious long term side effects such as an increased risk of injury, burns to the affected arm or long term pain.

Teaching Practices among Cleft Lip and Palate Surgeons in North America
Previous studies have suggested that success rates after cleft lip and palate surgery correlates with experience of the operating surgeon. It is also well known that poor outcomes and complications of cleft palate surgery, such as fistula can have profound, permanent effects on a child’s speech. This has led to controversy about whether or not resident trainees should be performing cleft lip and palate procedures. The overall purpose of this study was to obtain information on the current teaching practices and opinions amongst North American cleft surgeons. One hundred and fifty cleft lip and palate surgeons from across North America were surveyed and the results of this study will be published in a peer-review medical journal.

Honours & Awards

BC Children’s Hospital Excellence in Education Award (Production of Burn Unit Video), 2005

Research Group Members

Rebecca Courtemanche, Clinical Research Coordinator
Norine Mayede, Administrative Assistant, Division of Plastic Surgery
Milica Radosavljevic, Research Volunteer