Pediatric Motility Center

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Enjoy comprehensive service and award-winning healthcare. Submit an appointment request today, and our staff will follow up with you shortly to confirm a time that works for you and your family.

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Dedicated Pediatric Motility Care

Your family's wellness relies on each member being healthy. And when your child has a digestive or intestinal motility disorder, they feel anything but good. But they don't have to be embarrassed or ashamed — defecation disorders affect between 10 to 20 percent of the population. The Motility Center at Orlando Health Children's Arnold Palmer Hospital will provide testing and consultative services to improve your child's quality of life using a variety of approaches, including:

Medication
Nutrition
Behavior modification
Surgery
Therapy
Follow-up treatment

Throughout the process, you'll have access to an expert team of pediatric gastroenterologists, physician specialists, nurse practitioners and registered nursing staff. We'll work in coordination with your family to prescribe the most comprehensive and family-centered treatment for your child.

A Community of Support

Because we are the only pediatric Motility Center in the Southeastern U.S., families near and far come to Orlando Health Children's Arnold Palmer Hospital for its ease and expertise. That’s why we’ve partnered with The Ronald McDonald House of Orlando to provide your family a home-away-from-home, if necessary. In addition, we’ll work with insurers to seek insurance authorization for your child’s treatment.

Contact Us

For more information, or to schedule an appointment, please call (321) 841-3338.

Call (321) 841-3338

Symptoms of a Gastrointestinal Motility Disorder

Many different symptoms may indicate a gastrointestinal motility disorder. Some of these include:

Bloating and swollen abdomen
Constipation
Difficulty swallowing
Fecal incontinence and soiling
Gastroparesis or delayed gastric emptying
Heartburn
Persistent nausea and vomiting
Unexplained chest pain
Weight loss or appetite loss

Diagnostic Procedures

The following are common indications for manometry testing to diagnose a motility disorder. Manometry measures muscle contractions throughout the digestive tract.

To explain esophageal dysfunction that is not explained by anatomic or well-defined etiologies
To investigate dysphagia and odynophagia
For diagnosis of achalasia or other primary esophageal motor disorders
In the post treatment evaluation of patients with achalasia and recurrent symptoms
To investigate noncardiac chest pain
Prior to fundoplication when a severe motility disorder is suspected

To establish the presence of pseudo-obstruction
To classify pseudo-obstruction into myopathic or neuropathic forms
To evaluate unexplained nausea and vomiting
To distinguish between rumination and vomiting
To exclude generalized motility dysfunction in patients with dysmotility elsewhere (e.g., before colectomy)
To evaluate patients with pseudo-obstruction being considered for intestinal transplant
To possibly help predict outcome after feeding or after drug use in patients with pseudo-obstruction

To evaluate patients with intractable constipation
To evaluate children with pseudo-obstruction for the establishment of the presence of colonic involvement and to characterize the relationship between motor activity and persistent symptoms
To establish the pathophysiology of persistent symptoms in selected children with Hirschsprung disease, imperforate anus, intractable constipation and other colorectal problems
To assess colonic motor activity prior to intestinal transplant
To assess segmental activity prior to colonic resection.
To assess efficacy of cecostomy

To diagnose a non-relaxing internal anal sphincter
To diagnose pelvic floor dyssynergia
To evaluate postoperative patients with Hirschsprung disease who have obstructive symptoms and to evaluate the effect of anal sphincter-directed therapies
To evaluate patients with fecal incontinence
To evaluate postoperative patients after imperforate anus repair
To decide whether the patient is a candidate for biofeedback therapy
Biofeedback therapy for chronic constipation, encopresis and bowel rehab

For more information about the Motility Center, please call (321) 841-3338