Surgery Long-term Follow-up Clinic

To make an appointment, call Central Scheduling at (414) 607-5280 or toll-free (877) 607-5280.

The Surgery Long-term Follow-up Clinic at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin specializes in the care of children born with:

• Esophageal atresia.
• Tracheoesophageal fistula.
• Congenital diaphragmatic hernia.
• Imperforate anus.
• Hirschsprung's disease.
• Gastroschisis.
• Omphalocele and related problems.

Why a follow-up clinic?
As recently as 10 years ago, many babies with these problems did not live very long. Because of this, primary care physicians have limited training of the needs of growing children with corrected surgical problems.

You probably have already realized there are times when you seem to know more about your child's condition than his or her regular doctor. We would like to help both of you know more about your child's needs as he or she grows up.

Each child is different. We take a personal approach and treat children based on their individual needs. We developed the Surgery Long-term Follow-up Clinic to help families focus on improving the quality of their child's life.

Services
Below are some of the things we can provide:

• Information on how your child's past surgery will affect the growth and function of other parts of your child's body.
• Help to improve oral feeding skills and make a transition to solid foods for children with esophageal atresia.
• A behavioral approach to toilet training and bowel programs after rectal surgery.
• Updated information and education for primary care doctors, teachers and baby sitters.
• Family support.
• A "graduation" visit. As children get older, they often want to know more about their medical history. We give older children a detailed review of their anatomy, surgery and follow-up in words and pictures they can understand.

The clinic is staffed by surgeons, nurses and physician assistants who are trained in pediatric general surgery. They work as a team to meet the individual needs of children and their families.