Precision

Spina bifida affects about 1,400 babies born each year. Children with the most severe forms of the condition can have difficulty walking, bowel and bladder issues and many other complications. The multidisciplinary Spina Bifida Center at Lurie Children's provides comprehensive care for children and adolescents with spina bifida and other types of congenital spinal anomalies, from prenatal consultation through young adulthood. Dr. Robin Bowman leads the center. She is a neurosurgeon who sometimes performs a surgery on babies diagnosed with spina bifida, repairing the condition and improving the prognosis for the child. We talk with her today about the latest in spina bifida treatment and care.

Lurie Children's nationally ranked Division of Urology oversees one of the most experienced Multidisciplinary Valves Program (MVP) Clinic in the country. Their focus is treating children with a rare urological condition known as posterior urethral valves. Affecting only boys, PUV affects about 1 in 5,000 births and can lead to extreme damage to the kidney and bladder. Lurie Children's urologist Dr. Ed Gong and kidney specialist Dr. Kavita Hodgkins run the valves program and talk with us today about best practices in treating this rare and serious condition.

Lurie Children’s Division of Ophthalmology provides a range of eye care for children, from those who need to correct their vision with glasses to those who endure eye trauma to those with serious congenital eye disorders and pediatric glaucoma. The division’s head, Dr. Brenda Bohnsack, is a physician-researcher who specializes in complex eye problems in children, sometimes restoring vision in children who would otherwise be blind. She discusses her clinical work and her research investigating new treatments for children with the most severe eye disorders.

Lurie Children’s Division of Otolaryngology treats more children for ear, nose and throat conditions than any other hospital in Illinois. One important component of the division is its Aerodigestive Program, which provides comprehensive care to children with – among other conditions – disordered breathing and sleeping disorders. Dr. Taher Valika, the medical director of the program, discusses his expertise in complex airway and sleep surgeries, how children benefit from his work and the research he is doing in this area to enhance treatment options.

Lurie Children's is among the only pediatric hospitals with a specialized colorectal center. The multidisciplinary team cares for children with colorectal conditions such as imperforate anus, Hirschsprung disease and severe constipation. Learn more from two of the center's leaders, Dr. Julia Grabowski and Dr. John Fortunato, about how their comprehensive approach to treating children with these conditions stands out.