Pediatric Urology

Some children can be easily diagnosed and treated with medicine or a one-time procedure. Others have complex conditions that call for ongoing treatments and follow-up care. Whatever your child’s situation may be, our pediatric urologists are committed to partnering with you to design individual treatment plans that consider every part of life. You can count on our experts to create a relaxed, unhurried environment where you can ask questions and get the information you need to make good healthcare decisions.

As part of the region’s premiere health system, our pediatric urological expertise is enhanced by partners at Ochsner who are respected leaders in non-pediatric urology, pediatric neurosurgery, physical therapy, pediatric anesthesiology and child psychology. For example, adult urologists can come into play as a child with a complex urological condition matures into an adult.

When a child needs more than urological care, we can quickly integrate experts from other fields who are equally committed to total wellness for children from birth to age 18. Our multidisciplinary team is ready to help families and children cope with emotional, social, behavioral and learning challenges that may come with a complex urologic condition.

Exceptional care starts with convenient access. Whenever it’s practical for your child’s circumstances, we can offer virtual visits to help you avoid unnecessary travel. Find a location near you.

Throughout your child’s healthcare journey, you are guided by thoughtful people who combine advanced healthcare expertise with a passion for serving children and families. Our highly skilled pediatric urologists and nurse practitioner have decades of experience caring for children affected by urologic conditions such as:

• Hydroceles — swelling in the pocket of skin that holds the testicles

• Hypospadias — when the hole of the urethra is not at the tip of the penis

• Hydronephrosis — swelling of one or both kidneys, usually caused by a blockage

• Kidney stones — mineral salts and deposits that can form inside the kidneys

• Neurogenic bladder — a lack of bladder control related to nerves or spinal cord problems

• Undescended testicles — a common condition in baby boys when a testicle doesn’t lower into the sack of skin beneath the penis

• Ureteral obstructions — a blockage in one or both ureters

• Urinary tract infections

• Voiding dysfunction — when the bladder does not fully empty

Urologic diagnosis and treatments for children are as varied as the range of conditions and their severity. Some urological problems resolve on their own with time. Others require medication, Botox treatments, or surgeries, which can either be open and minimally invasive. Together, our pediatric urologists can perform a range of procedures, even the most delicate techniques designed for newborns and infants. Here are just a few of the treatments we offer:

• Penile reconstruction to correct development issues in the penis

• Endoscopic (minimally invasive) treatment to remove kidney stones

• Nephrectomy to remove a kidney

• Urodynamic tests to see how urine is stored and released in the lower urinary tract

Families come to Ochsner from all over region seeking world-class care for their children. Our team includes physicians fellowship-trained in pediatric urology with subspecialty certification in pediatric urology by the American Board of Urology. We’re home to Louisiana’s first female pediatric urologist so, if you or your child has a preference for your care team, we have you covered.

Our team works closely with all referring pediatricians, including those outside of the Ochsner network. Your pediatrician will have access to us and know we’re available for calls anytime.

• Frank Cerniglia, MD
• Patience Wildenfels, MD
• Jillian Pringle, NP

As part of the region’s leading health system, we have access to the top minds in the fields of nephrology, gastroenterology, neurosurgery, neurology, pediatric anesthesiology, and child psychology. Unlike other pediatric-only health care centers, we can call on our colleagues in the adult urology world for consults. And if or when your child should need adult urology care, the transition will be seamless

While patients come to us from all over, we make sure you can continue your care closer to home.

Along with our offices in New Orleans at Ochsner Hospital for Children at 1514 Jefferson Highway and just across the street at Ochsner Health Center for Children – New Orleans at 1315 Jefferson Highway, our team sees patients in Slidell.

We also have relationships with hospitals throughout the region, many with access to our shared record system.

Appointment Scheduling

In pediatric urology, we strive to be accessible to our patients and to take care of your child. Please call our office at 504-703-0808 for available appointment times and to schedule.

After Hours

For current patients with a concern after office hours, please call 504-842-4083 and press number 3 to be connected with our team’s physician on call.

Our highly skilled pediatric urologists and nurse practitioner treat a variety of urologic conditions, common and rare, including kidney problems, urinary tract infections and obstructions, bladder problems, voiding dysfunction, genital/scrotal abnormalities, and complex urogenital malformations.

Our expertise in minimally invasive surgeries (including robotic surgery) allows us to perform even the most delicate procedures in newborns and infants. We treat patients from birth to age 18 and offer prenatal consults as well.

Conditions we treat include:

• Abnormal position of the urethral opening (hypospadias)
• Anorectal malformations ( teamed with our pediatric surgery colleagues)
• Anterior urethral valves
• Backwards flow of urine (Vesicoureteral reflux or VUR)
• Bedwetting (nocturnal enuresis)
• Bending of penis (chordee)
• Bladder diverticulum
• Bladder stones
• Blocked kidneys
• Caudal regression
• Congenital adrenal hyperplasia surgery
• Daytime wetting (enuresis)
• Dilated veins in the scrotum (varicocele)
• Disorder of sexual development
• Duplicated kidneys (2 ureters on one side)
• Epispadias
• Fluid in the scrotal sac (hydrocele)
• Hematuria (blood in urine)
• Horseshoe kidney
• Hydroneprhosis
• Infections of bladder
• Infections of kidney
• Inguinal hernia (groin)
• Kidney stones/management of stone disease
• Multicystic dysplastic kidney
• Neurogenic bladder
• Newborn circumcisions
• Persistent cloaca
• Persistent urogenital sinus
• Posterior urethral valves
• Prenatal diagnosis of urinary tract problems
• Prenatal urinary tract obstruction
• Problems relating to circumcision
• Prune belly syndrome
• Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs)
• Spermatocele
• Spina Bifida( as part of a multispecialty myelodysplasia team)
• Spinal cord injury
• Spinal cord trauma
• Traverse myelitis
• Undescended testicle (testis)
• Ureteral vesical junction obstruction
• Uretero-Pelvic Junction Obstruction (UPJ Obstruction)
• Ureteroceles
• Urinary frequency
• Urinary urgency

Meet the Team

• Frank Cerniglia, MD
• Patience Wildenfels, MD
• Jillian Pringle, NP

For some kids, embarrassment may be a natural response to being examined or diagnosed by a urologist. That’s understandable since the practice of urology is a very personal form of healthcare. With that in mind, our pediatric urologists strive to develop positive relationships with children, to respect their dignity, to meet them on their own terms and to treat them as unique individuals. In this way, we make every effort to create a safe, comfortable atmosphere for your child’s urological care.

A child can benefit from a pediatrician’s referral to a pediatric urologist for many reasons. Among them are recurrent urinary tract infections, an unexplainable fever, frequent bedwetting, inability to control the bladder or a visible difference in a healthy anatomy, such as a testicle that has not descended into its proper place.