Intestinal Rehabilitation Program

About the Intestinal Rehabilitation Program

The Intestinal Rehabilitation Program is a multidisciplinary clinical program that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of infants and children with intestinal failure and short bowel syndrome.

The team includes the expertise of pediatric gastroenterologists, pediatric surgeons, nutritionists, nurse specialists, pharmacists, dietitians and social workers that work together in the approach to these complex patients.

Patients that are referred to the Intestinal Rehabilitation Program are infants and children with intestinal failure who require intravenous nutrition (referred to as PN and Parenteral Nutrition) for treatment of a variety of digestive disorders, including short bowel syndrome, gastroschisis, intestinal atresias, motility disorders or other reasons for feeding intolerance.

The program also specializes in the long-term care of children with short bowel syndrome and various intestinal disorders that require enteral feeding supplementation through gastrostomy, nasogastric or jejunostomy tubes.

Why choose Children's Hospital Colorado for intestinal rehabilitation?

The multidisciplinary team brings together leading caregivers with expertise in the complex nutritional, medical and surgical management of patients with intestinal failure and short bowel syndrome.

We participate in a national research consortium with leading intestinal rehabilitation centers around the country.

We are actively engaged in clinical and translational research focused on discovering new therapies and nutritional treatments that will improve the quality of life and clinical outcomes for infants and children with intestinal failure and short bowel syndrome. We are actively involved in trying to better understand what causes the cholestatic liver disease that is common in children receiving long term PN, and better ways to prevent or treat the liver disease.

Conditions we treat

• Intestinal failure
• Short bowel syndrome
• Feeding intolerance in gastroschisis
• Motility disorders causing feeding intolerance
• Autoimmune or congenital enteropathy
• Congenital intestinal anomalies
• Necrotizing enterocolitis
• Parenteral nutrition associated liver disease

Services offered

• Clinical, radiologic, laboratory, endoscopic and surgical evaluations
• Expertise in PN and tube feeding management, nutritional assessments and nutritional follow up
• Team approach to complex management with collective input from gastroenterologists, surgeons, pharmacists, nurse specialists, nutritionists and social workers