The Division of Pediatric Urology is committed to the growth and development of the Center for Pelvic and Genitourinary Reconstruction. The vision of this multidisciplinary center is to be a national and global leader for the care of children with complex pelvic abnormalities, including vaginal, genitourinary and anorectal abnormalities. The center provides expert, comprehensive, family-centered clinical care and it is a resource for the education of physicians, nurses, patients and families. Dr. Sheldon is a nationally recognized authority in performing complex genitourinary reconstructive surgery and kidney transplantation. Dr. Sheldon oversees a monthly/bimonthly Complex Clinic, which has been established to address the comprehensive medical, nursing and surgical management of patients with complex genitourinary conditions and patients awaiting renal transplantation. Division faculty and clinical fellows/residents are committed to the complex medical and surgical management of children with complex pelvic and genitourinary problems. Debbie Reeves, RN case manages all patients who are seen in the Complex Clinic as well as oversees the development of a patient database, website, communication center and parent advisory group.
Pediatric Urology is partnering with internationally recognized pediatric surgeons, Dr. Alberto Pe–a and Dr. Marc Levitt of the Colorectal Center for Children. These two pediatric surgeons manage a high volume of patients with anorectal malformations who will also require urological and/or gynecological intervention. Dr. Sheldon has committed the multidisciplinary approach in the management these complex pediatric surgery patients and will incorporate these patients into the center.
In addition to the expertise in reconstruction, the faculty surgically manages genitourinary tumors, including testes tumors, renal tumors and genitourinary rhabdomyosarcoma. The faculty has achieved a high level of expertise and success in the care of standard urologic medical and surgical conditions such as hypospadias, undescended testis, vesicoureteral reflux, ureteropelvic junction obstruction, UTIs and ureteroceles. Additionally, faculty interests include surgical intervention high intra-abdominal testis by means of testis autotransplantation and the treatment of patients with kidney stones through the use of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy and minimally invasive endoscopic lithotripsy.
We are fortunate to attract outstanding candidates to train in our pediatric urology fellowship program. Dr. Kazuyuki Nishinaka from Sapporo Medical University began his three year fellowship in July 2002. Dr. Nafisa Dharamsi of University of Manitoba began her two year fellowship with us in July 2003. Both Dr. Nishinaka and Dr. Dharamsi graduated in June 2005. Dr. David Kitchens from the University of Cincinnati began his fellowship in July 2004. Dr. Shumyle Alam will begin his pediatric Urology fellowship in July 2005 and he comes to us from the University of Illinois.
Dr. Minevich is on the Board of Directors of the Ohio Urological Association. Dr. Reddy is a member of the Fetal Care Center and in FY 2005, has been appointed Fellowship Director of the Pediatric Urology Fellowship program at Cincinnati Children's. Dr. Sheldon was voted Best Doctor in the US 2004-2005. Dr. Sheldon was invited as a visiting professor to Sapporo University in Japan. Dr. DeFoor has completed the first two years of a three-year program entitled "The Program of Clinical Effectiveness" at Harvard School of Public Health for which he will receive an MPH degree in FY 2006. Dr. DeFoor is the primary investigator and Dr. Jackson is the c0-investigator on a clinical trial which addresses the treatment of detrusor overactivity associated with a neurological condition in the pediatric patient. Dr. DeFoor is also the principal investigator on the Litholink urolithiasis study that began accruing patients in June 2005.
The division continues to focus on the care of the Voiding Dysfunction patient and patients with myelomeningocele. Dr. Jackson and the Pediatric Nurse Practitioners are jointly developing a study focusing on the care management as well as outcome measures for patients with incontinence and voiding difficulties. Additionally, Nan Tobias, RN continues to transition her PNP role beyond the care of the Voiding Dysfunction patient to the care management of the inpatient Urology service with the faculty, fellows and residents.
The division's basic science research efforts continue to grow under the direction of Dr. Pramod Reddy. Dr. Reddy's research work is focused on understanding the basis of genitourinary abnormalities in humans. His laboratory is studying the molecular basis of the organogenesis of the urinary bladder in vertebrates, using Xenopus as an experimental system. Dr. Reddy was awarded an NIH K08 grant, entitled "Molecular Basis of Bladder Organogenesis" in Feb. 2005. Additionally, Dr. Reddy was awarded a Cincinnati Children's Trustee grant in Nov. 2004. Dr. Alfor Lewis is partially funded on an NIH U01 grant as a co-investigator with Dr. James Lessard entitled, "Murine Atlas of Genitourinary Smooth Muscle Development."
