Intestinal Rehabilitation Program
Call today to schedule an appointment with one of our pediatric specialists.
Gastroenterology Referrals
View the referral guidelines
The Intestinal Rehabilitation Program at CHOC provides coordinated gastrointestinal and nutritional care for children of all ages—from infants to young adults—who have been diagnosed with intestinal failure related to a variety of conditions. Our goal is to improve the function of any remaining bowel, so that children can return to normal life. We provide multidisciplinary care, support and guidance for children with gastrointestinal disorders receiving specialized nutrition or intravenous nutrition (total parenteral nutrition or TPN) and their caregivers.
What We Treat
Our Intestinal Rehabilitation Program commonly treats kids who have malabsorption for a variety of reasons, including:
- Short bowel disease
- Intestinal failure and severe gastrointestinal dysfunction
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Certain types of cancers or side effects from cancer treatment
- Chronic vomiting
- Chronic diarrhea, dehydration and weight loss
- Chronic pseudo-obstruction.
The Intestinal Rehabilitation Program’s regular clinic sessions provide families with the opportunity to meet with our multidisciplinary team all in one visit to develop and maintain short-term and long-term treatment plans for your child. During the visit, you may undergo laboratory testing, have intravenous lines and/or feeding tubes checked, and ask questions about your child’s nutrition.
At each appointment, patients and families may meet with:
- Gastroenterologist: a physician with dedicated training and experience in the management of nutrition and gastrointestinal tract and liver diseases.
- Pediatric surgeon: a physician who specializes in the surgical correction of digestive tract problems.
- Registered nurse care coordinator: a registered nurse that helps manage each patient’s overall care, including scheduling, insurance issues and pharmacy and supply issues.
- Pediatric registered dietitian: a nutrition expert that monitors and evaluates each patient’s growth and nutrition.
- Clinical social worker: a psychosocial professional that helps the child and his or her caregivers cope with health issues, provides supportive counseling and connects families to resources and community support.
- Registered nurse: a registered nurse who can check intravenous lines, discuss line care with the family, draw blood for laboratory assessment, or assist with other procedures as needed.
We are also able to offer referrals to wound-care specialists, as well as occupational, feeding and physical therapists if patients require further care.
Parenteral Nutrition and Enteral Nutrition Care
Many children who have experienced intestinal failure receive intravenous nutrition (total parenteral nutrition or TPN) or enteral nutrition via a feeding tube. Our mission is to help these children receive optimal nutrition therapy while continually working toward independence from nutritional support to a more typical diet. We strive to provide patient- and family-centered care focusing on the education and resources families need to give the best care for their child.
