Gastroenterology

Our division advances the treatment of pediatric gastrointestinal and liver disorders through excellent patient care, research and education.

Gastroenterology

Division Head : J. Marc Rhoads, MD, Professor
Phone: 713.500.5663

About Our Division

The division has strengths in many areas, including the management of short bowel syndrome, liver and intestinal transplantation, irritable bowel syndrome, acute and chronic diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, vomiting and gastroesophageal reflux, and peptic ulcer disease. Our gastroenterologists perform many procedures, usually with the assistance of anesthesiologists, including endoscopy, colonoscopy, polyp removal, therapeutic endoscopy (to stop bleeding, variceal ligation, argon plasma coagulation), esophageal pH probe testing, breath hydrogen analysis, esophageal and anorectal manometry,and liver biopsy. Current areas of active research interest include fatty liver, infantile colic, and diarrheal disease.

Fellowship Program

The fellowship program is expected to start in July, 2008. It will emphasize clinical excellence in all aspects of pediatric gastroenterology, with a opportunity to pursue a clinical research pathway utilizing the resources of the Center for Clinical & Translational Research (with training modules in biostatistics, critical review, ethics, and federal regulation). The current division members have experience and publications related to nonalchoholic fatty liver disease, parenteral nutrition complications, chronic diarrhea, vitamin D metabolism, and inflammatory bowel disease. The division has anticipated funding or actual funding to support studies of probiotics in infantile colic; food intolerance and gut permeability in children with autism; and pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Laboratory opportunities include research focused on rotavirus diarrhea and necrotizing enterocolitis. Collaborative opportunities include relationships with the Texas Medical Center Digestive Disease Center and the U.T. Integrative Biology research group.

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Clinics

GASTROENTEROLOGY/NUTRITION CLINICS

Site/Address	Clinic Hours	Phone/Fax
Gastroenterology Clinic UTHSC Professional Building 6410 Fannin, Suite 500 Houston, TX 77030	Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays 9am-12pm Fridays 1PM -4PM	832-325-6516/ 713-512-2230
Transplant Clinic Texas Liver Center UTHSC Professional Building 6410 Fannin, Suite 370 Houston, TX 77030	Wednesdays 9AM -12:00PM	713-704-6800/ 713-704-6616
Hepatology Clinic Texas Liver Center UTHSC Professional Building 6410 Fannin, Suite 370 Houston, TX 77030	Tuesdays 8:30AM -12:00PM	713-704-6800/ 713-704-6616
Intestinal Rehabilitation Clinic Texas Liver Center UTHSC Professional Building 6410 Fannin, Suite 370 Houston, TX 77030	Tuesdays 9-11AM	713-704-6800/ 713-704-6616
Gastroenterology Clinic LBJ Hospital 5656 Kelley Street 2nd floor, Pedi Clinic Area Houston, TX 77026	1st Tuesdays 8-11:30 AM	713-566-5656/ 566-5844

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Our Staff

The Department of Pediatrics at the University of Texas School of Medicine, Houston, division of Pediatric Gastroenterology consists of 3 “luminal” specialists and one pediatric hepatologist, a nurse practitioner, 2 nurses, a dietician, a PhD performing basic science research, and an administrative secretary. The division expects to have a pediatric gastroenterology fellowship training program in July, 2008.

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