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Colorectal and Pelvic Reconstruction

Pediatric specialists at Dell Children’s Colorectal and Pelvic Reconstruction Center provide comprehensive care for children with colorectal conditions.

Child talking with a pediatric specialist at the Dell Children’s Colorectal and Pelvic Reconstruction Center  in Austin, Texas.

Dell Children’s Colorectal and Pelvic Reconstruction Center

Pediatric specialists at Dell Children’s Colorectal and Pelvic Reconstruction Center provide comprehensive care for children with congenital malformations, functional constipation, and incontinence. Our multispecialty team of pediatric surgeons, gastroenterologists, urologists, gynecologists, neurosurgeons, physical therapists, and mental health specialists diagnose and treat infants and children in a collaborative approach. Together, we provide seamless and personalized care. Your child’s care team starts by listening to you. Then, we create a treatment plan that’s right for your child and family. Our goal is to improve your child’s quality of life through surgical care and bowel management care.

Conditions we diagnose and treat

Pediatric specialists at the Dell Children’s Colorectal and Pelvic Reconstruction Center treat children from birth through young adulthood. For conditions present at birth, our pediatric surgeons work closely with neonatologists in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Dell Children’s Medical Center. We also work with other hospitals throughout Central Texas to transport infants to Dell Children’s for advanced surgical care. Our multispecialty team coordinates care to ensure your child receives a comprehensive evaluation and diagnosis. We take the time to fully explain your child’s diagnosis and create a personalized care plan.

Conditions we diagnose and treat:

  • Imperforate anus (or anorectal malformation)
  • Cloaca (anorectal malformation where the vagina, urethra and rectum are joined together)
  • Hirschsprung disease
  • Functional constipation
  • Fecal incontinence
  • Neurogenic bowel and bladder (loss of bowel or bladder function due to spinal cord anomaly or injury)

Surgical care for colorectal conditions

As a Level I Children’s Surgery and Trauma Center, Dell Children’s provides the highest level of surgical care for your child. Our pediatric surgeons are specialty trained in colorectal and pelvic reconstruction procedures, follow best practices, and use evidence-based decisions in surgery to deliver care that’s right for your child.

We specialize in many colorectal procedures including posterior sagittal anorectoplasty (PSARP) to repair congenital malformations (such as imperforate anus and cloaca), pull-through procedure to treat Hirschsprung disease, and cecostomy or appendicostomy to treat fecal incontinence and refractory constipation.

If your child’s condition needs multiple surgeries, we work with other pediatric specialists at Dell Children’s to coordinate your child’s surgical care plan. Whenever possible, we perform surgery on the same day to reduce the amount of times your child will need anesthesia.

Bowel management program

Dell Children’s Colorectal and Pelvic Reconstruction Center has a dedicated bowel management program. This is a nurse-led program that provides personalized treatment plans for children with functional constipation and fecal incontinence using medication, enema, or dietary interventions. Our goal is to help your child consistently empty stool, eliminate stooling accidents, and increase confidence and self-esteem.

We understand these conditions can be complex and affect your entire family. That’s why we take a family-based approach. We’re here to support your family. Your care team is easily accessible when your child’s medical needs change. We frequently communicate with families by phone, email, online (telehealth), and other tools. We stay in close contact with your family so that we can monitor changes in your child’s bowel habits and intervene in a timely manner.

What sets us apart

Level I Pediatric Surgery and Trauma Center

Dell Children’s provides the highest level of pediatric surgical and trauma care.

Multispecialty colorectal center and bowel management program

Dell Children’s delivers comprehensive colorectal and bowel management care in Central Texas.

Part of PCPLC

Dell Children’s is the first program in Texas to join the Pediatric Colorectal and Pelvic Learning Consortium.

Colorectal and Pelvic Reconstruction