SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital has a new treatment that hopes to bring relief to young patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE).
EoE is an increasingly common and underdiagnosed immune condition which results in inflammation of the esophagus. These patients often have difficulty swallowing or eating, and young patients may experience poor weight gain or vomiting. This condition, if ignored, can cause the esophagus to stiffen over time, making swallowing increasingly difficult. In some cases, it can even cause the esophagus to narrow off, causing food to get stuck, resulting in a need for urgent emergency treatment and often an overnight stay in the hospital.
Once a child is diagnosed with EoE, a variety of treatment options exist. However, these treatments require regular follow-ups, including frequent endoscopies to assess the patient’s condition and determine how treatments impact their bodies. For some patients, this can mean an endoscopy as frequently as every 3-4 months. For young children, repeated traditional scoping, which requires sedation, isn’t ideal and can greatly impact their lives and well-being, as well as that of their families.
Transnasal endoscopies avoid sedation and offer a quicker, outpatient option. A transnasal endoscopy, or TNE, uses a much smaller scope that goes through the nose, requiring only topical numbing. This procedure does not require sedation or IVs and can be done without a trip to the operating room. While the experience can cause some discomfort, the process is typically much easier and is far less invasive for patients.
“We are excited to be able to offer another method for patients and families,” said Dr. Molly Barr, a pediatric gastroenterologist with SSM Health Cardinal Glennon. “Having the option of transnasal endoscopy allows us to give the appropriate care to our patients, while also being able to limit their exposure to anesthesia at such young ages."
SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital has recently expanded care for EoE patients to clinics both at the main hospital campus as well as at the SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Specialty Care clinic in Edwardsville, Ill., offering TNE services to patients who qualify.
For more information, learn more about pediatric GI services or call specialty services at 314-268-4010.
