Specialized Services

A B C D E F G H I K L M P R S T W All Services

Children with congenital anomalies, also known as birth defects, are living longer, healthier lives. As these children develop, many have special needs that require the expertise of neonatal and pediatric specialists. The UCSF Congenital Anomalies Follow-up Program is one of the first of its kind on the West Coast that provides comprehensive and long-term management and care to children with congenital anomalies, including the most complex conditions that require surgical correction.

The Pediatric Surgery Service at UCSF Children's Hospital performs more than 1,000 operations annually, with referrals from throughout the United States. We work with experts in the UCSF Fetal Treatment Center, UCSF Prenatal Diagnosis Program and other pediatric specialties to manage patients from birth to adolescence, offering fetal diagnosis and management to postnatal care.

Conditions Treated

Our follow-up clinic treats children with complex birth defects including:

• Congenital diaphragmatic hernia
• Esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula
• Imperforate anus and Hirschsprung's disease
• Sacrococcygeal teratoma
• Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation and pulmonary sequestration
• Gastroschisis and omphalocele
• Chest wall deformities including pectus excavatum and carinatum
• Bladder exstrophy and cloacal anomalies

Our Team

Our team includes experienced neonatal and pediatric specialists skilled in the care and management of children with complex disorders. Experts in the following areas work together to provide patients with the best possible care:

• Pediatric Surgery
• Neonatology
• Pulmonology
• Gastroenterology
• Developmental Pediatrics
• Nutrition
• Social Services
• Feeding Therapy
• Hearing Screening
• Nursing

Five board-certified pediatric surgeons, two pediatric nurse practitioners and three surgery fellows provide surgical consultation and management for congenital and acquired surgical conditions in newborns, children and adolescents. They are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Research and Innovation

Through the team's research efforts, many birth defects treated by open surgery are now approached using minimally invasive techniques. Our program's surgeons, nurses and fellows are authors of more than 700 peer-reviewed published articles covering a broad range of fetal and pediatric anomalies, their surgical treatments and operative techniques.

Ongoing clinical research sponsored by the National Institutes of Health – and pending support from the Food and Drug Administration – includes randomized clinical trials of innovative treatment for spina bifida, twin-twin transfusion syndrome and pectus excavatum.

More Information

For more information or to make an appointment, please contact the UCSF Congenital Anomalies Follow-up Program