Melissa and Blaine Pless credit a team at UT Physicians, part of UTHealth Houston, for saving the life of their daughter Ellie after she was born with a rare congenital condition. During Melissa’s 20-week ultrasound in 2019, doctors identified kidney abnormalities that led to an uncertain prognosis.
After further review by a multidisciplinary medical team, specialists suggested Ellie’s condition might be treatable. She was ultimately diagnosed with bilateral ureteroceles—a rare defect affecting roughly one in every 2,000 to 5,000 births—where both tubes connecting her kidneys to her bladder were malformed.
Dr. Eric A. Jones, pediatric urologist at UT Physicians Pediatric Surgery – Texas Medical Center and associate professor at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, became central to Ellie’s care from birth. “The prenatal ultrasound evaluations are limited to some extent, so you often don’t have the full picture at that time,” said Jones. “Early on, it was unclear how well the kidneys would function at all.”
Ellie underwent two surgeries under Dr. Jones’ care: first as an infant to reduce infection risk and later for major reconstructive surgery after overcoming persistent infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria.
The situation escalated when Ellie contracted Klebsiella shortly after her first birthday. Dr. Michael L. Chang, pediatric infectious disease specialist at UT Physicians Pediatric Specialists — Texas Medical Center and associate professor at McGovern Medical School, played a crucial role during this stage by balancing antibiotic use with the risk of resistance.
“After thoughtful discussions with Ellie’s parents and Dr. Jones, we agreed to try a treatment and preventive strategy rarely used in children and supported by very limited evidence,” said Chang. He explained the approach transparently to Ellie’s family before switching her antibiotics in preparation for surgery.
Following successful surgery by Dr. Jones—who reconstructed her bladder and corrected the ureteral malformation—Ellie recovered well without needing a kidney transplant as initially feared.
Throughout Ellie’s medical journey, open communication between physicians and family was emphasized as key to success. “Dr. Jones trusted me to explore every available option, I trusted his surgical expertise, and together we earned the trust of Ellie’s family,” said Chang.
Melissa Pless expressed gratitude for the dedication shown: “Dr. Jones was texting us in the middle of the night, even when he was on vacation…he went above and beyond.” Her husband Blaine added: “He saved our daughter’s life…We got our child.”
Now six years old, Ellie is healthy enough to play sports like softball and golf while continuing routine monitoring of her kidney health.
