Digestive disorders in children range from minor to life threatening, and short- to long-term or chronic. Following are just some of the pediatric gastrointestinal conditions we treat and services we provide:
Multidisciplinary approach to pediatric gastroenterology and hepatology
- Our gastroenterological patients have access to multiple specialties including pediatric surgery, pediatric radiology and pediatric anesthesia, as well as the full resources of the Cleveland Clinic.
- Taking the time to explain treatment options and plans to children and their families is a high priority for our pediatric gastroenterology and hepatology team.
- Pediatric gastroenterology and hepatology team members also encourage patients and families actively participate in decision-making over the course of care.
- Our Pediatric Endoscopy suite and Infusion Center features a new generation of high-definition endoscopes and monitors that permit direct visualization of the various digestive pathways. This superior visualization results in better detection of abnormalities.
Specialized Gastroenterological Testing
- We offer some of the most sophisticated and specialized tests needed to diagnose gastrointestinal problems.
- In addition to diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy we routinely perform wireless capsule endoscopy and advanced motility procedures including esophageal motility, antroduodenal motility, rectal motility and colonic motility.
Innovative Gastroenterological Treatments
- Our staff’s involvement in research has produced a new medication that dramatically improves the health of children with serious pediatric inflammatory bowel disease.
- Our unique Center for Functional and GI Motility Disorders helps children with chronic disease learn to cope with pain and other symptoms through biofeedback and other techniques.
- Pediatric liver transplantation, including living related transplantation and reduced size grafts, provide options for children with very serious liver disease and has excellent survival rates.
- Small bowel transplantation can help restore intestinal function to those patients whose intestines do not absorb nutrients properly due to disease, injury or prior surgery. This is a new surgical technique and the members of the department can evaluate pediatric patients to see if they may be candidates for this procedure. In addition department members help to manage the complicated nutritional requirements of children with “short gut syndrome”, who one day may need a surgical procedure such as bowel lengthening or a small bowel transplant.
Recognition
Children's Hospital's Gastroenterology program was nationally ranked in U.S.News & World Report's 2011-12 edition of “Best Children’s Hospitals.”
Large, specialized staff
Our 11 board-certified pediatric gastroenterologists subspecialize in areas ranging from fatty liver disease and GI motility disorders to advanced endoscopy and IBD, with $3.4 million in National Institute of Health (NIH) research funding.
Major textbook editors
Former chairman Robert Wyllie, MD, is Chief Editor and pediatric endoscopist Marsha Kay, MD, is associate Editor of the textbook Pediatric Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease: Pathophsiology, Diagnosis, Management, now in its 4th Edition (Elsevier).
Living-related-donor liver transplants and small bowel transplants are featured in robust pediatric transplant program.
The Pediatric Preventative Cardiology and Metabolic Clinic (PDF) multi-disciplinary team staff take a comprehensive approach to preventing the onset and progression of cardiovascular and metabolic conditions in hi-risk pediatric patients.
Capsule endoscopy (PDF) is an exciting technology that allows our Pediatric Gastroenterologists to look at the entire lower GI tract in a single day. With earlier diagnosis and intervention holds promise for lowering morbidity and mortality among adults and children with small bowel problems.
Endoscopy Suite and Infusion Center
New options for identifying and treating pediatric digestive disorders
Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital is providing another level of service to care for the growing population of children with digestive disorders with the recent opening of a new, six bed Pediatric Endoscopy Suite and Infusion Center at Cleveland Clinic's main campus Crile building.
The sophisticated suite, expected to accommodate 750 to 1,000 procedures annually, features a new generation of high-definition endoscopes and monitors that permit direct visualization of the various digestive pathways. This superior visualization results in better detection of abnormalities.
The Children's Hospital currently serves one of the largest populations of pediatric patients in the United States who suffer from digestive disorders. Our renowned pediatric gastroenterologists are physician specialist who care for children with problems ranging from Colic to Crohn's Disease.
Pediatric Gastroenterology & Hepatology Team
All physicians on our team treat children with the full spectrum of gastrointestinal problems. Gastroenterologists in our three-year pediatric gastroenterology fellowship program have already completed their training in general pediatrics and work directly with staff.
Pediatric Nutrition Specialists
- Andrea Adler, RD, CSP, LD
- Christina DeTallo, MS, RD, CSP, LD
- Carrie Gonzalez, RD, LD
- Tara Harwood, MS, RD, CSP, LD
- Bette Klein, MS, RD, CSP, LD
- Jenna Mastrobuono, MS, RD, LD
- Merideth Miller, RD, CSP, LD
- Abby Reinier, RD, LD
- Andrea Rumschlag, RD, LD
- Sara Seither, MS, RD, CSP, LD
Pediatric Nursing Team
- Kelley Koslasky, RN, BSN Nurse Manager
- Lauren Blanc, RN, BSN
- Kathryn Brockman, RN
- Bethany Bullard, RN
- Jill Frawley, RN, BSN
- Denise Kern, RN
- Kathleen Raig, RN
- Molly Spindler, RN, BSN
- Kimberly Flynt, LPN
- Sandi Jones, MA
