All Specialties
More than 60 million people in the United States suffer from a digestive disease. Many of these conditions can be difficult for adults to talk about, so imagine what it must be like for a child. The pediatric gastroenterology team at Ochsner Hospital for Children has the advanced education, experience and communication skills required to diagnose and treat your child. We know how to put kids at ease and on the road to recovery.
Why Ochsner Hospital for Children for Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases?
Our dedicated team at Ochsner Hospital for Children includes board-certified pediatric gastroenterologists, a nurse practitioner, registered dietitians, psychologists, a physical therapist specialized in pelvic floor dysfunction, a pediatric social worker and a specialized nursing staff. Every year, we treat close to 2,300 kids with gastrointestinal and liver diseases across the Gulf South.
What’s more, our liver transplant program was ranked #1 in the nation for medical excellence by CareChex® for five straight years with outcomes that are consistently above national transplant benchmarks.
While many digestive disorders are minor and short-term, some are chronic and will require lifetime management. When your kids begin their treatment at Ochsner, they will experience a seamless transition to adult care.
Ochsner Hospital for Children has been nationally recognized as an approved NPF Center by the National Pancreas Foundation. NPF Centers are awarded after a rigorous audit review to determine that an institutions focus is on multidisciplinary treatment of pancreatitis, treating the “whole patient” with a focus on the best possible outcomes and an improved quality of life.
An approved NPF Center has to meet the criteria that were developed by a task force made up of invited subject matter experts and patient advocates. The criteria includes having the required expert physician specialties such as gastroenterologists, pancreas surgeons, and interventional radiologists, along with more patient focused programs such as a pain management service, psychosocial support and more.
For more information about the National Pancreas Foundation, please visit www.pancreasfoundation.org.
Conditions We Treat:
- Abdominal pain
- Celiac disease
- Diarrhea
- Neonatal cholestasis
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Reflux and peptic ulcer disease
- Cyclic vomiting syndrome
- Fatty liver disease
- Viral hepatitis
- Constipation
- Pancreatitis
- Congenital causes of liver disease
- Pancreatitis
- Failure-to-thrive
- Short gut syndrome
Procedures We Offer:
- Complex intestinal stricture management
- Small bowel enteroscopy
- Rectal suction biopsies
- Gastrostomy button care and replacements
- Esophagogastroduodenoscopy
- Esophageal dilatation
- Esophageal and anorectal manometry
- Esophageal varices banding and sclerotherapy
- Colonoscopy and flexible sigmoidoscopy
- Endoscopic polypectomy
- pH probe studies
- BRAVO™ pH studies
- Small bowel video-capsule endoscopy
- Therapeutic and diagnostic ERCP
- Percutaneous liver biopsy
Our Services
Colorectal Program
Our Pediatric Colorectal Program is dedicated to providing quality care for pediatric patients living with congenital conditions, such as imperforate anus or Hirschsprung disease, as well as severe functional constipation or fecal incontinence. Our patients are seen in a multidisciplinary setting by experts in pediatric surgery, pediatric gastroenterology, physical therapy and psychology using tools like pelvic floor training and cognitive behavioral therapy. This collaborative approach improves overall care for our patients and their families.
Aerodigestive Program
Our Aerodigestive Program provides coordinated, comprehensive evaluation and management of complex airway, respiratory and gastrointestinal tract disorders. Depending on your child’s needs, your child will receive expert care from a multidisciplinary team, which include pediatric otolaryngology, pulmonology, gastroenterology, nutrition and speech therapy. Our team works closely together to develop a unique treatment plan tailored for each child.
Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Disorders (PFSD) Program
Our PFSD team consists of pediatric gastroenterology, nutrition, nursing, social work, speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy and behavioral psychologists. We are highly trained and experienced in managing children with feeding and swallowing difficulties. Our goal is to provide all families with comprehensive care to ensure your children will thrive and grow.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program
We have developed an IBD program based on the Improve Care Now Network™, a quality improvement collaborative dedicated to improving remission rates and young patients lives. Patients are seen in a multidisciplinary clinic, which includes a GI physician, GI nurse practitioner, dietitian, pharmacist, psychologist and research coordinator.
Therapeutic Endoscopy
The Therapeutic Endoscopy Program at Ochsner Hospital for Children offers non-surgical options designed to treat diseases of the biliary tract, pancreas and intestines. Our highly trained team has extensive knowledge in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), small bowel enteroscopy, endoscopic stenting and other advanced endoscopic procedures. We have a dedicated endoscopy suite equipped with full pediatric anesthesia coverage. We perform more than 1,000 pediatric procedures annually. When it comes to the safety of your child, experience matters.
Liver Program
Our Liver Program specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of all forms of pediatric liver disease. Our program includes:
- A fast-track diagnostic pathway for infants with cholestasis, including evaluation for biliary atresia, rare inherited forms of cholestasis and other liver-based metabolic conditions
- Multimodal treatment of portal hypertension, including medical, endoscopic, endovascular and surgical approaches
- Assessment and monitoring of children with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
- Collaboration with oncology and surgery to treat primary liver tumors
- Intensive inpatient care and access to transplantation for infants and children with acute liver failure
- Access to state-of-the-art clinical trials not available anywhere else in the region
Liver Transplant Program
Currently, Ochsner is the only hospital in the region performing pediatric liver transplants. We offer a full range of liver transplant options, including split and reduced livers, as well as living donor liver transplants. Our patients are managed by an internationally renowned group of physicians, including transplant surgeons and pediatric specialists, fully devoted to saving the lives of children with end-stage liver disease. Click here to learn more.
Pancreas Program
At Ochsner, we know that the causes and treatments of pancreatitis can be very different in children, compared to adults. Our team applies the most current data to the management of acute pancreatitis for our pediatric patients. We collaborate with primary care providers to uncover the underlying causes and to create an individualized treatment plan for our pediatric patients living with this disease.
Intestinal Rehabilitation Program
Intestinal failure may result from congenital conditions, like intestinal atresia, or problems which develop after birth, like necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). For these children with intestinal failure or short gut syndrome, intravenous nutrition can be lifesaving, but it presents a number of problems over the long term. Our intestinal rehabilitation program works closely with families to rehabilitate children’s intestinal function with a goal of eliminating the need for intravenous nutrition.
Referrals Aren’t Necessary
Sometimes it’s hard to know when it’s time to call in a specialist. Many parents agonize over whether their child is experiencing just a run-of- the-mill tummy ache or something more. At Ochsner, we believe all concerns are valid. If you feel like your child’s symptoms are affecting quality of life – if they’re missing school, for instance – you’re not overreacting. Pick up the phone and make an appointment for a thorough examination by someone who knows what to look for and how to interact with children. We can get you in quickly and get the answers you need.
Keep in mind that pediatric gastroenterologists are available for appointments in New Orleans, Slidell, Covington, Raceland and Baton Rouge. When you schedule your visit, our team will help match your child’s medical needs with experts closest to your home.
