Digestive Surgery

At NewYork-Presbyterian, our pediatric digestive surgery teams have expertise in the treatment of a wide range of digestive conditions and disorders in children of all ages.

In newborns and infants, some of the digestive disorders we treat include:

• Esophageal atresia (EA): a birth defect in which the esophagus fails to properly connect the mouth to the stomach
• Tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF): a hole or connection between the trachea and esophagus
• Anorectal malformation (ARM)/Imperforate anus: a birth defect in which the anal opening is absent or not in a normal position.
• Intestinal atresia: blocked or obstructed intestines
• Hirschsprung's disease: a congenital condition affecting newborns in which nerves have not formed in a section of the large intestine, preventing the intestine from contracting normally and causing food to build up and blockages to form
• Choledochal cysts: a congenital abnormality of the duct that transports bile from the liver to the gall bladder and small intestine
• Necrotizing enterocolitis: a serious condition in premature babies that inflames intestinal tissue, causing the tissue to die
• Biliary atresia: a blockage in the duct that carries bile from the liver to the gallbladder
• Imperforate anus: the absence of an anus
• Liver and intestinal failure: Evaluation for liver and small bowel transplantation by our specialized transplant surgical and medical teams.

In older children and adolescents, some of the digestive abnormalities we treat include:

• Gastroesophageal reflux disease: a condition that occurs when the junction between the esophagus and the stomach is not completely developed or is abnormal, causing contents of the stomach to back up into the esophagus
• Gallstones: hardened deposits of digestive fluid form in gallbladder
• Hernias: protrusion of an organ or tissue through a weak muscle or membrane in the abdominal wall or groin
• Intestinal motility disorders: abnormal intestinal contractions, such as spasms and intestinal paralysis.
• Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis):  inflammation of the small intestine or colon
• Diverticular diseases: a condition in which muscle spasm in the colon (lower intestine) causes abdominal pain and disturbance of bowel function without inflammation
• Hepatobiliary disorders and malrotation: abnormal positioning of the intestines
• Liver disease