PEDIATRIC GI CARE Ochsner Children’s Hospital Pediatric Gastroenterology The Faces of Ryan Himes, MD, Section Head, Pediatric Gastroenterology and System Associate Chair; Darnna Banks, Medical Director of Pediatric Neurogastroenterology and Motility
PHOTO CREDIT: JULIE VERLINDEN PHOTOGRAPHY
O chsner Children’s Hospital offers specialized care through its renowned Pediatric Gastrointestinal (GI) team, ranked by U.S. News & World Report in pediatric gastroenterology and GI surgery, and recognized as Louisiana’s top children’s hospital for four consecutive years. The hospital is home to an Alpha-1 Foundation Clinical Resource Center and a National Pancreas Foundation Center of Excellence, providing comprehensive team-based care for infants and children with chronic conditions. The multidisciplinary approach at Ochsner combines expert medical, surgical, and transplant care with patient education to prevent complications, focusing on outcomes and quality of life. A standout offering is Ochsner’s Intestinal Rehabilitation Care Program, the only one of its kind in the region. This specialized program addresses the needs of children with intestinal
Ochsner Children’s also is home to the largest and most comprehensive pediatric liver disease and liver transplant program in the region, serving children with a variety of conditions including biliary atresia, autoimmune liver disease, Wilson disease, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, among many others. For patients who require liver transplantation, the team utilizes split liver transplants and living donor liver transplants to help get children transplanted sooner, before their condition progresses. Led by Dr. Ryan Himes the Pediatric GI team shares a commitment to patient care, research and teaching to ensure that Ochsner Children’s remains at the forefront of pediatric gastrointestinal care and provides a comprehensive medical home for children with hepatobiliary and gastrointestinal needs. For more information, visit ochsner.org/services/pediatric- gastroenterology.
failure and complications of small bowel transplantation, utilizing a collaborative team approach. The care team includes pediatric gastroenterologists, surgeons, dietitians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, speech and language pathologists, and behavioral psychologists, all working together to help kids grow and transition off intravenous nutrition. This holistic care model has been clinically proven to improve growth and development in children with complex intestinal conditions. Dr. Darnna Banks leads the Pediatric Neurogastroenterology and Motility program, caring for patients with disorders of gut brain interaction as well as motility disorders including achalasia, gastroparesis, and Hirschsprung disease. Her team offers complete motility testing including esophageal, antroduodenal, colonic and anorectal manometry to precisely identify the problem and inform more effective therapies.
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