The Pediatric Aerodigestive Program
The Pediatric Aerodigestive Program at Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital provides coordinated family-centered care for children with complex conditions of the upper airway, gastrointestinal tract (GI), and pulmonary systems. Problems affecting swallowing and breathing can sometimes require multiple different specialists and complicated medical and surgical care.
Our interdisciplinary program includes ear, nose and throat (ENT), GI, pulmonary, complex care pediatricians, speech language pathologists, dieticians, and nurses. Our team organizes clinic visits, diagnostic tests, and operating room procedures among all necessary health care providers.
Many of our patients are able to see each of their relevant aerodigestive team members on the same clinic day, or receive their care from different teams on the same procedure day. This coordination and communication increases patient safety, improves outcomes, and reduces discomfort to provide the highest quality of care.
We treat and manage the following conditions:
- Airway anomalies
- Breathing difficulties
- Chronic aspiration
- Eosinophilic esophagitis
- Esophageal stricture
- Failure to thrive
- Feeding and swallowing difficulties
- Gastrostomy dependence
- Laryngeal cleft
- Recurrent croup or stridor
- Recurrent pneumonia, aspiration pneumonia
- Tracheal or subglottic stenosis
- Tracheoesophageal fistula/Esophageal atresia (TEF/EA)
- Tracheomalacia
- Tracheostomy dependence
Why Choose Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai has one of the most comprehensive aerodigestive care teams in New York City.
Our team includes:
- A pediatric pulmonology team with rare expertise in advanced diagnostic and interventional techniques, and one of the most comprehensive flexible bronchoscopy programs for young patients in the region
- A specialized fellowship-trained ENT team with experience and expertise in both open and endoscopic complex airway surgeries and reconstruction
- A dedicated GI team that directs one of the most respected centers for pediatric digestive disorders in the region
- Family-centered and comprehensive care from our complex care pediatricians
- A collaborative speech language pathologist (SLP) who is specially trained on nonsurgical evaluations and treatments and provides an individualized approach to improving voice, swallowing, and airway protection for our young patients.
- Close working partnership with our prestigious pediatric cardiothoracic and pediatric general surgery teams
With our highly skilled team and cutting-edge techniques, we are able to provide tailored treatment approaches for diseases affecting children’s swallow and ability to breathe.