Stony Brook Hospital’s Pediatric Voiding Improvement Program (VIP) opened last summer and is now offering more availability. Pediatric VIP can help with urinating frequency, daytime wetting, recurring urinary tract infections, and bedwetting. Each patient meets with Ezekiel Young, M.D., and Bridget Pellegrini, P.A., to generate a plan of treatment and to determine specialized testing is needed.
The plan often includes weekly sessions for progress assessment, behavioral counseling, and biofeedback. This approach helps most children achieve drastic and lasting improvements.
“We set [treatment] up in a way where the children come in on a weekly basis,” says Dr. Young. “We work with them on an ongoing basis for those who need more intensive and comprehensive treatment.”
According to Dr. Young, if the patient ends up in the program, they would then be able to meet with Pellegrini to go over recommendations and make sure they’re progressing. Patients are given instructions about things they should be doing at home and school. During weekly check-ups, Dr. Young sees if they’re implementing those behaviors into their daily lives.
A lot of children who have specific problems can also have issues with constipation. In some cases, they are sent to a gastroenterologist.
“Learning how to relax and contract their pelvic muscles is a big deal, so we give patients biofeedback,” says Dr. Young.
Using the non-invasive Urostym, patients are hooked up with wires attached to stickers, which is then hooked up to a machine that includes interactive games to exercise contracting and relaxing their pelvic muscles.
Image: Each patient meets with Ezekiel Young, MD, to determine treatment needs.
Courtesy Stony Brook Children’s Hospital
