As a child, it can be hard to express how you feel both physically and emotionally to adults that can help make everything better. As an adult, it can be hard to understand the severity of what a child is feeling.
Pediatric Gastroenterologist Dr. Jonathan Gisser from Nationwide Children’s Hospital is able to help children with pain they are feeling from the mouth to their bottom.
Gastroenterology is the field of medicine that deals with disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, pancreas and everything else in between.
According to Dr. Gisser, the most common problem his unit treats is stomach pain.
“In a given clinic day, we see 16 patients in a full day, maybe 8 of them have some belly pain as the main complaint,” he said.
There are two disorders that can cause a child discomfort in their stomach; functional or organic according to Dr. Gisser.
A functional disorder can be described as nothing being physically wrong with the patient, but they are still suffering. This is the most common diagnosis.
An organic disorder means there may be a blockage, inflation or something could be damaged within the belly.
Unfortunately, the pain can feel the exact same way for the child, but there are warning signs such as loss of weight, vomiting or loss of appetite that doctors and parents can look for that will allow a correct diagnosis and treatment to help the child feel like themselves again.
According to Dr. Gisser treatments can include medications or dietary/lifestyle changes depending on the patient. As it can be difficult to treat such a vulnerable population, Dr. Gisser ensures to communicate with not only the child, but also the parents or guardians.
“We don’t just treat the child, we treat the whole family. The first line of defense is reassurance if you can exclude any serious conditions. Talking to the family, hearing the family and determining whether something more ominous is happening, the treatment is going to be specific to that condition,” he said.
Dr. Gisser has been practicing at Nationwide since the beginning of his career 13 years ago.
“I think the main reason I love to work with Nationwide is because the culture is exceptional. Around me are some of the best and brightest people,” he said.
Dr. Gisser spends one day a week in Mansfield to help those in the community he can provide his services to. He enjoys the slower pace at a smaller hospital so he can spend a little more time with each patient.
“It’s been a mainstay of my career for years now, it may be my favorite day of the week professionally,” he said. “It gives me a lot of satisfaction to take care of this patient population.”
Before taking a child to the emergency room for gastrointestinal tract reasons, Dr. Gisser recommends talking to the child’s pediatrician first as they know when it is appropriate to send a patient to the hospital.
“I would like to thank all the doctors that refer their patients to me in Richland and surrounding counties,” Dr. Gisser said. “I am here to help relieve that burden when it comes to the gastrointestinal tract.”
For more information about Nationwide Children’s Hospital Mansfield center, or to make an appointment, visit nationwidechildrens.org.
