Clinical Strengths

We provide the latest approaches to treating deformities of the chest wall, including pectus excavatum and pectus carinatum, using 3D imaging to provide a superior view of what the chest will look like after surgery.

This multidisciplinary clinical team specializes in the treatment of children with short bowel syndrome and intestinal failure. Our research strength in this domain makes us one of the leading experts in intestinal disease in the country, and allows us to translate what we learn to develop new and better treatments for patients.

Children with colorectal disorders require a dedicated team with specialized experience, and ours is one of the best in the country. We provide advanced diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management of disorders like imperforate anus and Hirschsprung’s disease using advanced methods including MRI-guided surgery and minimally invasive surgery. Our focus is on securing the best quality of life for our patients, from childhood into adulthood.

Disorders or differences of sexual development (DSD) refers to a variety of conditions, from differences in chromosomes to hormones to anatomy. Our team of providers specializes in diagnosing DSD and supporting each family and child in choosing care that supports their long-term physical, social, and emotional needs.

Since pioneering the use of this advanced life-support technology, we’ve treated more than 2,000 patients using extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Our ECMO expertise makes us a statewide resource for this technology, and allows us to minimize risks when deploying this therapy for patients undergoing a wide range of procedures.

Through our unique cross-disciplinary clinic, experts in pediatric surgery, pediatric endocrinology, radiology, and nuclear medicine provide coordinated treatment for pediatric endocrine disorders such as adrenal tumors, thyroid cancer, and multiple endocrine neoplasm syndromes.

Mothers and newborns with complex health conditions will find support and expert treatment at our Fetal Diagnosis & Treatment Center. We specialize in prenatal diagnosis, prenatal counseling, maternal-fetal intervention, and pregnancy management. We also focus on delivering the latest in minimally invasive interventions.

We develop and deploy the latest technologies in surgical treatment, including MRI-guided biopsy and anoplasty and ultrasound-guided placement of lines and catheters. By improving the precision of our tools, we can improve outcomes for patients. We’re one of only a handful of centers in the world providing MRI-guided repair for imperforate anus and anorectal malformation. By employing advanced radiology tools in pediatric surgery, we’re able to be more precise, safer, and more successful in performing operations.

With sophisticated instruments and a drive to continue improving the patient experience, we offer one of the nation’s most advanced minimally invasive surgery programs for children. Minimally invasive surgical techniques reduce surgical trauma, pain, and recovery times for patients, so we find ways to develop these techniques not only for routine procedures but also for more advanced operations that previously would have been performed as open surgeries.

Michigan surgeons have a long history of excellence in pediatric thoracic surgery, dating to the first successful esophageal atresia repair in 1941. Today, we continue that legacy with advanced treatment for esophageal diseases including tracheoesophageal fistula, achalasia, and hiatal hernia. We specialize in minimally invasive techniques and primary repair of the esophagus.

Through our Level 1 Trauma Center, C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, we provide care to the most seriously injured patients, from pre-hospital treatment through rehabilitation. Mott is also one of only 2 children’s hospitals in the state verified by the American Burn Association to provide pediatric burn care. Through community engagement and education programs, we also seek to reduce the number of injuries among children as part of our Injury Prevention Program.

Our Pediatric Weight Management Clinic designs a personalized plan for each patient, combining behavioral change strategies with nutritional counseling and overall evaluation of health and wellness.

This program is one of the largest of its kind in the country, treating rare and complex childhood cancers, including neuroblastoma, Wilms’ tumor, rhabdomyosarcoma, hepatoblastoma, Ewing's sarcoma, melanoma, and germ cell tumors. Our research expertise in childhood solid tumors provides us with special insight into their development and options for treatment, and our large research network gives patients access to clinical trials for new and novel approaches.

The Pediatric Surgical Critical Care Program at Mott Hospital is one of the nation’s only surgical critical care services provided for pediatric patients by surgeons. Our multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, dieticians, social workers, and respiratory therapists conducts daily rounds together to consult with families and establish a detailed plan of care. We treat serious pediatric conditions including necrotizing enterocolitis, a common cause of emergency abdominal surgery in young children, and congenital diaphragmatic hernia, whose patients often require extracorporeal life-support treatment, a specialty at U-M.

We treat a high volume of vascular anomalies each year at Michigan, resulting in a rare level of expertise among our specialists. We offer advanced therapies for conditions including complex hemangiomas, infantile hemangiomas, congenital hemangiomas, capillary malformations, and venous malformations.