Ochsner Children’s Hospital Pediatric Gastroenterology

Ochsner Children’s Hospital Pediatric Gastroenterology

Face of Pediatric GI Care

Ryan Himes, MD, Senior Physician, Pediatric Gastroenterology and System Associate Chair & Darnna Banks, Medical Director of Pediatric Gastroenterology

Dr. Himes and Dr. Banks lead Ochsner Children’s Hospital’s Pediatric GI team, ranked by U.S. News & World Report in pediatric gastroenterology and GI surgery and as Louisiana’s No. 1 kids’ hospital for four years. Ochsner is an Alpha-1 Foundation Clinical Resource Center and a National Pancreas Foundation Center of Excellence, providing comprehensive care for conditions like Alpha-1 liver and lung disease. The program combines expert medical, surgical, and transplant care with patient education to prevent complications. The Pancreas Center excels in multidisciplinary treatment, focusing on outcomes and quality of life, with services like pain management and psychosocial support.

How is Ochsner involved in our community? Our program is leading the way in care for kids in our community. Ochsner Children’s Hospital’s Intestinal Rehabilitation Care Program is one-of-a-kind in the region. Our program is a specialized medical treatment and care program designed to address the unique needs of children with intestinal failure. Our physicians take a multidisciplinary approach to management, and this is because intestinal conditions often affect more than just the intestinal tract. 

     Our team of physicians and advanced practice providers have top-quality education, experience and a special interest in caring for pediatric patients with intestinal failure. Because of Ochsner’s holistic approach to care, your child will establish care with many different pediatric subspecialists, including gastroenterologists, surgeons, dietitians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, speech and language pathologists and behavioral psychologists.

     This integrated approach to healthcare has been clinically proven to improve outcomes in children with intestinal failure.

     Our collective goal is to deliver the highest quality care to our patients so that they can focus on being healthy, typical children.

What products/services do you offer? Short bowel syndrome caused by conditions, such as:

Gastroschisis, Hirschsprung’s disease, Intestinal atresia, Malrotation and volvulus, Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), Congenital diarrheal disorders, Motility disorders and chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction, Autoimmune bowel disease, Pre and post small bowel transplant care, Complications related to small bowel transplantation, Intestinal failure-associated liver disease

     Complications around central venous lines, such as infections, thrombosis, and loss of access

What are the complications associated with intestinal failure?

While our team works diligently to prevent the following complications, there are a few to be aware of: Catheter-related bloodstream infections, Loss of IV access, Intestinal failure associated liver disease, and poor growth and development due to nutritional deficiencies. For more information, visit ochsner.org.