Advanced Care for Your Child
Attention to your child's function and comfort
Issues affecting the genitourinary system are not uncommon among infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In addition to impairing normal function, they can also affect quality of life, self-esteem, and overall health. The pediatric urology specialists at NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children's Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital understand the impact these issues can have on your child and your family.
We offer diagnostic testing and advanced treatments in a family-friendly setting, from birth through young adulthood, for urologic disorders ranging from bed-wetting and recurring urinary tract infections to complex urinary tract issues. In many cases, we begin working with families before their baby is born, when urologic issues are identified on prenatal ultrasounds.
Who we care for
Our pediatric urology teams treat young patients with all types of urologic concerns with special expertise in:
- Adolescent varicocele
- Anorectal malformations
- Bladder and cloacal exstrophy
- Bladder problems in spina bifida
- Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH)
- Ectopic ureters
- End-stage kidney disease
- Hydronephrosis
- Hypospadias
- Kidney stones
- Neurogenic bladder
- Newborn circumcision at age 2-3 months
- Posterior urethral valves
- Prune belly syndrome
- Ureterocele
- Ureteropelvic junction obstruction
- Urinary tract infections
- Urination (voiding) problems, including bedwetting
- Vesicoureteral reflux
A Life Changing Journey: Preethi Davis
Amazing Patient Stories: Preethi Davis was born in India with a rare and complex congenital abnormality in which her reproductive, urological, and gastrointestinal systems were combined into a single opening.
Our Approach to Care
Your child's team is led by pediatric urologists with advanced training. We bring in all of the specialists and subspecialists your child may need — such as nephrologists, oncologists, endocrinologists, radiologists, and neurologists. The teams at both centers include experienced nurse practitioners with specialized training in the care of children with urologic issues. Telehealth visits are also offered for most diagnoses.
As your child nears adulthood, our pediatric urology specialists collaborate with our adult urologists to prepare adolescents and young adults for a smooth transition from pediatric to adult care. NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital has a Transitional Urologist on the team who is specifically interested in helping ease this passage.
How we care for your child
Your child's care begins with an accurate diagnosis based on comprehensive assessments of their anatomy, symptoms, and function. We'll then speak with you about the best treatments and work with you to choose the most appropriate option for your child. Our specialized services include:
Minimally invasive robotic surgery. Today we perform many urologic surgeries using minimally invasive techniques to complete the surgery through just a few very small incisions, rather than one large incision. Our surgeons are experts in the use of robotic surgery in children, which provides an enhanced view of the surgical area and better dexterity with surgical instruments. Minimally invasive surgical approaches are associated with less pain and blood loss, smaller scars, and a quicker return to your child's regular activities, such as school and sports.
Complex urologic reconstructive surgery. Pediatric urologists perform complex reconstructive surgery for congenital issues (present at birth), including abnormalities of the bladder and urethra. We also "re-operate" when patients who have already had urologic surgery require another surgical repair. NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky was the first center in the country to be designated a Center of Excellence for Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia.
Urodynamics. We offer specialized testing for urination issues, including "uroflow" tests to assess bladder filling and emptying, video imaging to look for abnormalities in the bladder and urethra, and real-time ultrasound. Based on the results, we may recommend treatments such as biofeedback, , medication, injections, or surgery.
Prenatal assessment. It is often possible to see anatomic issues in your baby's urinary system on a prenatal ultrasound. The pediatric urology teams at NewYork-Presbyterian work closely with our renowned prenatal pediatric centers and maternal-fetal medicine divisions (those dedicated to complex issues in pregnancy), such as the Center for Prenatal Pediatrics at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley, to assess abnormal findings on prenatal scans and develop a plan of care for your baby. Our centers offer all of the prenatal tests needed to diagnose urologic disorders, including ultrasound, voiding cystourethrography (a way to assess urine flow), nuclear renal (kidney) scans, and MRI.
Pediatric kidney stone care. Treatments we offer for kidney stones in children include lithotripsy (shock wave treatment), laser therapy, stone removal performed through a catheter, and minimally invasive surgery.
Optimizing kidney transplantation. One in four children who need a kidney transplant or dialysis due to end-stage renal disease needs surgery to correct urologic issues. We work with the kidney transplant team and perform surgery before and after transplant to enhance the survival of a transplanted kidney, reduce the risk of infections, and improve the urinary function of these children.
Why Choose Us
When you bring your child to us for care, we carefully assess their function, anatomy, and needs and customize a plan of care that addresses those needs with expertise and compassion. Children come to us from all over the world for our reconstructive surgery expertise and other care that is difficult to find elsewhere. Give us a call to learn how we can help your child.
Both NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky and NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital offer dedicated programs for the circumcision of newborns in the first months of life who did not or could not have the procedure done while in the hospital shortly after birth, due to prematurity or anatomical issues.
At NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, patients benefit from a child-centered environment during each stage of their care, including a surgical robot specifically dedicated to pediatric urology patients. Our pediatric urology program builds on its rich tradition of excellence established over 65 years ago; from our location in Washington Heights, we pride ourselves on providing a bilingual environment, serving the local community, and offering additional offices in both Westchester and Midtown Manhattan. We are committed to research to provide the best patient care experience, including our partnership with our nephrology colleagues through the NIDDK-sponsored O’Brien Urology Research Center.
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