Pediatric Gastrointestinal And Liver Disease Extra Quality

Our team of pediatric gastroenterologists, hepatologists, dietitians, psychologists, clinicians and nurses is dedicated to helping children with common or complex gastrointestinal, liver, and nutritional problems, such as:

Pediatric Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease

The Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition offers highly personalized care from our comprehensive pediatric gastroenterologists. A comprehensive pediatric gastroenterologist is a doctor that sees and treats a broad spectrum of symptoms and conditions, and has a broad-based education and experience in the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric gastrointestinal and liver disease.

We have extensive experience treating gastrointestinal, liver, and nutrition-related symptoms or conditions. Every year, we schedule more than 40,000 patient visits and perform over 4,000 procedures. We also offer a full range of diagnostic and therapeutic options in our state-of-the-art Gastroenterology Procedure Unit.

Our team is here to guide your child and your family through every facet of care, from diagnosis through recovery. We are skilled at diagnosing and treating diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and liver, including:

Troy Gibbons, MD, gastroenterologist and professor of pediatrics, has established a database related to eosinophilic esophagitis. Sylvia Ofei, MD, MPH, gastroenterologist and assistant professor of pediatrics, is the site leader of ImproveCareNow, an international quality and research consortium related to inflammatory bowel disease.

At Brenner Children's, our pediatric gastroenterology team is the region's leader for the preventative care, diagnosis and treatment of pediatric digestive and liver disorders. Our board-certified clinical experts and other health care professionals care for and treat children of all ages, from newborn to adult.

Our clinical experts, trained in pediatrics and gastroenterology, diagnose and treat all types of gastrointestinal and liver disorders in children of all ages, including hepatitis, Crohn's disease, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, pancreatitis, cirrhosis, GERD and intestinal bleeding disorders. We use the latest in medical advancements and specialized blood testing procedures to ensure the best possible outcome for our patients. In addition, our nutrition experts work closely with our patients and their families to determine the best treatment plan, which may include diet changes and medication.

Children are not simply little adults and may have a different reason for their abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, or liver problems. For this reason, they may need a specialist well trained in pediatric gastrointestinal and liver disease.

Dr. Hochman has authored numerous publications, case reports, review articles, and textbook chapters on a variety of pediatric gastrointestinal problems. His most recent studies/research have focused on improving yield for pediatric endoscopy and a treatment for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Dr. Hochman has served as an invited speaker for national campaigns to improve the evaluation and treatment of viral hepatitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, celiac disease, eosinophilic esophagitis, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). As a member of NASPGHAN, he has helped develop educational materials on a wide range of gastrointestinal and liver diseases, which are used across the country.

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OverviewWhat We TreatProgramsOur DoctorsAppointments & LocationsResources for FamiliesOverviewOverviewNationally ranked among the top pediatric gastroenterology programs in the country by U.S. News & World Report, our team of pediatric gastroenterologists and hepatologists care for children with problems of the gastrointestinal tract. We take care of children with a variety of gastroenterological conditions involving organs in the digestive system, including the esophagus, stomach, large bowel, small bowel, liver, gallbladder and pancreas.

Our pediatric psychology and pain therapy team help children with chronic GI diseases 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.

Digestive disorders gastroenterological conditions in children range from minor to life threatening, and short- to long-term or chronic. Following are just some of the pediatric gastrointestinal conditions our GI specialists treat and the services we provide:

The diagnosis and treatment of this disease involves evaluation by a combination of pediatric gastroenterologists, pediatric allergists and pediatric dietitians. Treatment can include dietary therapy, medical therapy, or both. Most patients may need an upper scope test (endoscopy) to make the diagnosis and for follow up of this condition.

Glycogen Storage Disease (GSD) is a rare genetic disorder effecting 1 in every 100,000 newborns. The underlying problem in all GSD types is the inability to properly use and or store glycogen as individuals with the disease lack enzymes to store or release glycogen. Treatment and disease management includes assessment of metabolic control through laboratory findings, liver ultrasound, dietary changes, nutritional assessment and monitoring of disease progression and implementation of appropriate interventions.

The Pediatric Metabolic Liver Disease Clinic multi-disciplinary team staff takes a comprehensive approach to preventing the onset and progression of cardiovascular disease and metabolic conditions in high-risk pediatric patients.

Nonalcoholic Fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most common cause of chronic liver disease in children and adolescents in the United States affecting approximately 1 in 10 children and about 50% of children with obesity. More importantly, it is the second most common cause of liver transplantation among the adults in the United States. NAFLD initially starts with simple fat accumulation in liver (called hepatic steatosis) and can progress to liver injury (called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis) eventually leading to scarring (liver fibrosis) and advanced liver disease (cirrhosis). Up to 25% of the children with NASH can progress to fibrosis.

Therefore, the aim of our pediatric NAFLD clinic is to identify children and adolescents with NAFLD and to prevent them from progressing to fibrosis. The unique aspect of our clinic is noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis through use of an ultrasound based technique called Tissue elastography which can be done on the same day of clinic with real time results. Weight loss currently remains the mainstay of treatment for NAFLD which can be achieved with lifestyle interventions. We also comprehensively screen for other associated comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and obstructive sleep apnea.

Nutrition is a critical therapy for children of all ages especially those with medical conditions and chronic diseases. Proper nutritional support prevents malnutrition, assures appropriate physical growth and development, and helps to maintain a strong immune system. A pediatric, registered dietitian is a licensed health professional who specializes in the nutritional care of children and understands their specific nutritional needs.

The Cleveland Clinic Children's Pediatric Liver Transplant Program provides special care for children who suffer from various types of liver disease that require liver transplantation. Our multidisciplinary team stays with your child and your family from the time of referral to transplant, and more importantly all the way through long-term care after transplant if a transplant is required.

We now offer expanded access to pediatric infusion for children and teens with Crohn's disease and other problems of the gastrointestinal tract when necessary. Please call to schedule an infusion appointment at the location of your choice.

Written by forger chairman and current Cleveland Clinic Chief Medical Operating Officer Robert Wyllie, MD (Chief Editor) and current Chair, pediatric endoscopist Marsha Kay, MD (Associate Editor), Pediatric Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease is the leading text in the medical field for the diagnosing and treatment of pediatric gastrointestinal and liver diseases. 041b061a72