Our division provides comprehensive care for children with complex gastrointestinal and hepatic illnesses, with particular skills in the care of patients with intestinal failure, inflammatory bowel disease and acute and chronic liver disease. We have the region’s only small bowel transplant and liver transplant programs, as well as the only intestinal rehabilitation program. Technological advances in pediatric gastroenterology and the advanced skills of the division providers have enabled us to apply diagnostic and therapeutic techniques and procedures to the upper intestinal digestive tract, liver, and colon. Capsule endoscopy, diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy, gastrostomy tube placement, liver biopsy, esophageal motility and anorectal manometry are some of the techniques available through our division. As a team, we work in close consultation with our colleagues in general surgery, radiology and pathology in the diagnosis and therapy of patients with gastrointestinal disease. Our approach to diagnostic and therapeutic interventions has enhanced our quality of care and provided our patients with the most advanced expertise available in the WWAMI region (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho).
Additionally, the division has an extensive history of contributions to basic science and clinical research and continues to be a leader in clinical and basic research in gastroenterology. Some of the division’s research focuses include treatment of hepatitis B, hepatitis C, cholestatic liver diseases, fatty liver disease and acute liver failure. We also address treatment of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease and management of recurrent abdominal pain.
The division participates in the western regional pediatric inflammatory bowel disease registry and is the only center in the Pacific Northwest participating in the NIH-sponsored pediatric liver disease research groups for the study of hepatitis C, hepatitis B, cholestatic liver diseases, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, acute liver failure, and post–liver transplantation.