Spina bifida (SB), or myelomeningocele, is the most common permanent congenital anomaly in the United States.
Because of advances in medical care, more and more people are living with SB into adulthood. Many patients with SB may have trouble finding healthcare providers with experience caring for patients with this disease in adulthood. The problems encountered by SB patients as they age into adulthood differ from those of childhood and require different sets of medical knowledge and expertise.
Multidisciplinary Care
Over the past 30 years, the multidisciplinary clinics for children with spina bifida has become the standard of care. These clinics integrate neurological, urological, orthopedic care and social services for patients and families living with spina bifida. The improvement in care for children affected by spina bifida has resulted in prolonged lifespan and quality of life for these patients, with over 85% of these children surviving into adulthood.
Increasing awareness of the gap in care from adolescence to adulthood offers a unique opportunity for innovative care for this patient population. It is not uncommon for adults with spina bifida to experience a decline of function into adulthood, as well as problems that are unique from those they encountered during childhood.
Cleveland Clinic’s Adult Spina Bifida Clinic uses a similar model of integrated care for adult patients with a team experts from our the Pediatric Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Neurological Institute, Glickman Urological & Kidney Institute and Medicine Institute. The clinic is staffed by health care provider representatives from these institutes for the treatment of urological issues, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and internal medicine for the prevention and treatment of disease.
The goals of Cleveland Clinic's Adult Spina Bifida Clinic are to:
- Provide ongoing support for patients who have outgrown the pediatric spina bifida clinic
- Recapture and provide ongoing preventative medical care to adult patients who have been lost to routine medical care
- Better understand the unique medical needs and quality of life concerns of these patients as they age
Why Choose Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic’s Adult Spina Bifida Clinic is part of the Glickman Urological & Kidney Institute, recognized worldwide for excellence in patient care, teaching and research, merges the urology and nephrology programs. This consolidation of disciplines allows us to better serve patients in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of kidney disease while we continue to provide high-quality patient care and carry on innovative research in all aspects of urology. Cleveland Clinic is recognized in the U.S. and throughout the world for its expertise and care.
Our Doctors
Appointments & Location
If you would like to make an appointment, please call 216.444.5600. When feasible, patient’s records are reviewed prior to the appointment so that appropriate screening testing can be ordered on the same day as the clinic for the patients’ convenience.
Our office is located at Cleveland Clinic's main campus:
Q Building - Glickman Tower
2050 East 96th Street
Cleveland, OH 44195
Patient Referrals
Referrals to providers in colon-rectal, gastroenterology, gynecology, and other specials are also facilitated as needed. Clinics are offered approximately every 3-4 months depending on patient demand. For more information, please call 216.444.2146.
Resources
For additional information on adult spina bifida, visit the Spina Bifida Association website.
