A descriptive model for a multidisciplinary unit for colorectal and pelvic malformations

Authors

Alejandra Vilanova-Sanchez, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Devin R. Halleran, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Carlos A. Reck-Burneo, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Alessandra C. Gasior, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Laura Weaver, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Meghan Fisher, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Andrea Wagner, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Onnalisa Nash, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Kristina Booth, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Kaleigh Peters, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Charae Williams, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Sarah Mayer Brown, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Peter Lu, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Molly Fuchs, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Karen Diefenbach, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Jeffrey R. Leonard, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Geri Hewitt, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Kate McCracken, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Carlo Di Lorenzo, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Richard J. Wood, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Marc A. Levitt, Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

3-1-2019

Journal

Journal of Pediatric Surgery

Volume

54

Issue

3

DOI

10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2018.04.019

Keywords

Anorectal malformations; Collaboration; Functional constipation; Hirschsprung Disease; Multidisciplinary approach

Abstract

© 2018 Elsevier Inc. Introduction: Patients with anorectal malformations (ARM), Hirschsprung disease (HD), and colonic motility disorders often require care from specialists across a variety of fields, including colorectal surgery, urology, gynecology, and GI motility. We sought to describe the process of creating a collaborative process for the care of these complex patients. Methods: We developed a model of a devoted center for these conditions that includes physicians, psychologists, social workers, nurses, and advanced practice nurses. Our weekly planning strategy includes a meeting with representatives of all specialties to review all patients prior to evaluation in our multidisciplinary clinic, followed by combined exams under anesthesia or surgical intervention as needed. Results: There are 31 people working directly in the Center at present. From the Center's start in 2014 until 2017, 1258 patients were cared for from all 50 United States and 62 countries. 360 patients had an ARM (110 had a cloacal malformation, 11 had cloacal exstrophy), 223 presented with HD, 71 had a spinal malformation or injury causing neurogenic bowel, 321 had severe functional constipation or colonic dysmotility, and 162 had other diagnoses including familial polyposis, Crohn's disease, or ulcerative colitis. We have had 170 multidisciplinary meetings, 170 multispecialty outpatient, and 52 nurse practitioner clinics. In our bowel management program we have seen a total of 514 patients in 36 sessions. Conclusion: This is the first report describing the design of a multidisciplinary team approach for patients with colorectal and complex pelvic malformations. We found that approaching these patients in a collaborative way allows for combined medical and surgical decisions with many providers simultaneously, facilitates therapy, and can potentially improve patient outcomes. We hope that this model will help establish new-devoted centers in other locations to encourage centralized care for these rare malformations. Level of evidence: IV.

APA Citation

Vilanova-Sanchez, A., Halleran, D., Reck-Burneo, C., Gasior, A., Weaver, L., Fisher, M., Wagner, A., Nash, O., Booth, K., Peters, K., Williams, C., Brown, S., Lu, P., Fuchs, M., Diefenbach, K., Leonard, J., Hewitt, G., McCracken, K., Di Lorenzo, C., Wood, R., & Levitt, M. (2019). A descriptive model for a multidisciplinary unit for colorectal and pelvic malformations. Journal of Pediatric Surgery, 54 (3). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2018.04.019