Aerodigestive care at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital
Pediatric specialists at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis deliver advanced care for children with complex airway, respiratory, gastrointestinal tract disorders and speech/feeding disorders. The aerodigestive program brings together a multispecialty team to diagnose, treat and manage complex conditions. Your child’s care team may include pediatric otolaryngologists (ear, nose and throat doctors), pediatric pulmonologists, pediatric gastroenterologists (GI), dietitians, speech/feeding therapists, respiratory therapists and more.
Diagnosing and treating aerodigestive conditions
We care for children with many complex conditions, including:
- Airway stenosis (narrowing of the windpipe)
- Aspiration (when food or liquid enters the windpipe)
- Dysphagia (swallowing difficulty)
- Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) allergic disease of the food pipe
- Esophageal stricture (abnormal narrowing of the food pipe )
- Feeding and breathing disorders
- Gastrointestinal disorders
- Congenital abnormalities of the voicebox
- Laryngomalacia (floppy voice box)
- Tracheoesophageal fistula (abnormal connection between the food pipe and the windpipe)
- Tracheomalacia and bronchomalacia (floppy windpipe)
- Vocal cord paralysis and voice disorders
All the care your child needs, all in one place
The aerodigestive program offers care in one place, so you and your child meet with multiple specialists in one visit. Your child’s appointment starts with a conversation between you, your child and your care team. Diagnostic testing may be recommended to help find the cause of your child’s symptoms. We take the time to explain your child’s diagnosis and answer your questions. Your child’s team of specialists works together to create a care plan that’s individualized for your child’s needs. Many care plans include medications, therapy, nutrition plans and sometimes surgery.
Between visits, we stay in contact with you and your family as much as possible. Our care team is available to answer your questions and connect the dots for your child’s care, including scheduling appointments.
Benefits of our multispecialty approach to care
When your child has a complex condition, they can benefit from having:
- Convenience of meeting with multiple specialists in one visit.
- Close collaboration between your child’s team of specialists, which allows for the development of an individualized and comprehensive treatment plan.
- Coordination of endoscopic and surgical procedures, meaning that if a procedure is part of your child’s care plan, your child’s surgeons collaborate to perform multiple procedures at once to limit the amount of anesthesia your child will need.
- After your child’s first appointment, virtual visits may be available for follow-up care.
- Ongoing support from our support team between visits.