Convenient, Coordinated Care
Before your visit, our coordinator will work with you to determine which team members you or your child need to see. This may include a neurosurgeon, orthopaedic surgeon, urologist, neurodevelopmental neurologist, physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist, bowel management specialist, nutritionist, physical or occupational therapist, orthotist, wheelchair specialist, or social worker.
Testing and Clinic Visits on the Same Day
Your visit may also include imaging such as MRI, X-rays, and/or ultrasound or blood tests. This can allow you or your child to have all necessary tests and doctor appointments in one visit.
Experts from a Wide Range of Specialties
When you seek spina bifida treatment with us, you benefit from the full range of Duke Health resources. In addition to the providers in our spina bifida clinic, you may be referred to specialists in plastic surgery, radiology, ophthalmology, gastroenterology, gynecology and obstetrics, otolaryngology, pediatric anesthesia, or others areas.
A Team Approach
All of your providers meet together to review and discuss your or your child’s health history, exam findings, and test results. Together, they determine which treatment options offer the best-possible outcomes for each patient. For example, a neurosurgeon and orthopaedic surgeon may collaborate during a combined surgery to avoid multiple procedures, or a neurosurgeon and neurologist may work together to manage headaches.
Ongoing Monitoring
As part of your or your child’s regular visits to our clinic, we’ll monitor any symptoms or changes in function and/or activity. Imaging and lab tests are often ordered routinely to monitor the brain, spine, kidneys, and bladder, and additional studies may be recommended if specific problems are suspected.
Nationally Recognized Surgical Care
Duke is certified as a Level I Verified Children’s Surgery Center by the American College of Surgeons. This designation recognizes our commitment to providing the highest-quality surgical care to young patients.
Support Services
A social worker is an integral part of our program, providing support and guidance to help manage the impact of spina bifida on your whole family. Our social worker can contact your child’s school, if needed, to address concerns about participation, neurodevelopmental disabilities, or academic performance. We may also recommend special recreational activities and camps to allow you or your child to enjoy life to the fullest.
Leaders in Advancing Spina Bifida Care
Duke is a designated Clinic Care Partner of the Spina Bifida Association, which recognizes hospitals and clinics that use best practices to care for people with spina bifida and associated diseases, such as neurogenic bladder.
Duke is one of the few U.S. centers selected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to participate in the National Spina Bifida Patient Registry. It collects information about medical and surgical care for people living with spina bifida and helps treatment centers share best practices and improve the quality of care. Over 600 spina bifida patients at Duke have agreed to participate in the Registry, joining more than 11,000 individuals across the U.S.
We are one of only nine centers participating in the CDC’s Urologic Management to Preserve Initial Renal Function Protocol for Young Children with Spina Bifida (UMPIRE) program. In this program, children with myelomeningocele receive advanced urologic care and monitoring from birth to age 10. The goal is to obtain the best-possible bladder and kidney function for the child and to help researchers identify the best standards of care.
Our doctors serve or have served on the Professional Advisory Council, Research Advisory Council, and Board of Directors of the Spina Bifida Association.
