Digestive Health & Gastroenterology (Pediatric)

The Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital provides diagnostic and treatment services for children with a wide range of both common and rare gastrointestinal disorders.

We diagnose and care for the full spectrum of esophageal, gastric, intestinal, pancreatic, and hepatic diseases and disorders with special pediatric expertise offered in each of these areas.

Our physicians, working alongside nurse practitioners specialized in pediatric gastroenterology, see between 7,000-8,000 outpatient clinic visits per year, of which about 2,500 are new patients. In addition, we provide care for over 500 hospital admissions per year. 

Disorders commonly seen in the outpatient clinic include, but are not limited to:

  • inflammatory bowel disease
  • intestinal polyposis syndromes
  • gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
  • peptic ulcer disease
  • gastrointestinal bleeding
  • malabsorption
  • Barrett's esophagus
  • celiac disease
  • pancreatitis
  • pancreatic insufficiency
  • constipation
  • functional abdominal pain
  • functional dyspepsia
  • eosinophilic esophagitis
  • liver diseases and liver transplantation

Our faculty participate in a number of multidisciplinary clinics for children with complex disorders affecting the digestive system, including the Children’s Intestinal Rehabilitation Program and our renowned Aerodigestive Disorders Program.

Advanced expertise in gastrointestinal procedures

At Michigan Medicine C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, we perform over 1,000 endoscopic procedures annually. We provide comprehensive and state-of-the-art diagnostic and interventional procedures in children and young adults in order to diagnose and treat a wide array of gastrointestinal and liver conditions.
 
We are the only program in Michigan, and one of the few in the country, that offers advanced and therapeutic endoscopy - including endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) - by a pediatric gastroenterologist, which are important for the care of children with hepatobiliary and pancreatic diseases. Whether the procedure is routine or complex, our endoscopy program is committed to providing safe and efficient care for all patients.

Endoscopic procedures we offer include:

  • botox injections of the pylorus
  • colonic and rectal stricture dilatation
  • colonoscopy
  • double balloon endoscopy
  • endoscopic treatment of upper and lower GI bleeding
  • esophageal dilation
  • esophageal variceal banding
  • esophagogastroduodenoscopy
  • flexible sigmoidoscopy
  • foreign body removal
  • liver biopsies
  • polypectomy
  • push enteroscopy
  • pyloric dilation
  • sclerotherapy
  • upper endoscopy
  • endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)

In collaboration with the Gastrointestinal Physiology and Manometry Lab  and the Advanced Endoscopy Group of the Division of Gastroenterology in the Department of Internal Medicine, we also offer:

  • anorectal manometry
  • esophageal manometry
  • hydrogen and 14C-Urea breath testing (for carbohydrate malabsorption and H. pylori infection, respectively)
  • 24 hour esophageal pH monitoring and impedance monitoring
  • endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)

Quality improvement and patient safety

Our goal is to ensure that the care we provide meets the highest possible standard of care, reflecting the latest information available about the best treatment approaches and optimal outcomes.  In addition, we prioritize our efforts around ensuring patient safety for every patient, regardless of the complexity of the disorder or procedure.

We are actively involved in the quality improvement work of the ImproveCareNow initiative, and have established a patient and family advisory panel to guide our work in this area.

Advancing care for children with digestive disorders

Our faculty are committed to learning as much as we can about all aspects of patient care and the diseases relevant to pediatric gastroenterology, so that our care and the care of gastroenterologists everywhere can be better tomorrow than it is today.  Learn more about our research activities.

Make an appointment

To learn more or schedule an appointment, call 734-763-9650.