Children with tracheoesophageal fistulas need care from a team with proven expertise and a history of successful results. Our team provides compassionate, experienced care and innovative techniques in treating children with tracheoesophageal fistulas in the Esophageal and Airway Treatment Program at Johns Hopkins All Children’s in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Our Approach to Care
When your child has a complex condition like a tracheoesophageal fistula—an abnormal connection between the esophagus and trachea that can cause breathing or swallowing issues—finding the right team matters. Our program combines deep pediatric experience with advanced techniques and the latest safety practices to diagnose and treat patients with challenging cases, offering families the focused care and results they deserve.
Meet Jason Smithers, M.D.
Dr. Jason Smithers, who leads the Esophageal and Airway Treatment Program, talks about what makes the program unique, and why he views it as a privilege to be able to help children and their families.
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Why Choose Johns Hopkins All Children’s
- World-class Expertise: Led by Dr. Smithers, a leader in treatment and innovation for pediatric thoracic surgery, our team provides world-class expertise in treating esophageal, airway and thoracic conditions. We work with specialists throughout the hospital, including anesthesiologists, gastroenterologists, and others with experience in airway conditions, to provide your child with comprehensive care.
- Advanced Diagnostic Techniques: Understanding the full scope of a child’s airway condition is essential to providing them with the right treatment. Our team developed a complete dynamic three-phase airway exam that allows us to perform a full assessment of your child’s airway before surgery using various methods, allowing us to carefully plan your child’s treatment.
- Leading-edge Care: Our team is at the forefront of developing new procedures to treat esophageal, airway and thoracic conditions, providing specialized techniques that are not available everywhere. For example, we monitor the nerves of the vocal cords in all cases involving the neck and chest to minimize the risk of nerve injury. This monitoring is uncommon but is part of our protocols to avoid vocal cord injury during surgery.
“To have a surgeon that dedicates his life to something like esophageal atresia or fistulas … it’s not something I knew about before I had Wynter but it’s something you’ll never be able to put into words. … There’s nothing I can do to say thank you enough because you’ve literally changed Wynter’s life.”
—Holley, Wynter’s mom
Traveling for Care
We treat children from across the country and the world in the Esophageal and Airway Treatment Program. Johns Hopkins All Children’s has a number of resources to assist you and your family as you travel for care and can provide information on available accommodation options such as Ronald McDonald House to help meet your needs before traveling to St. Petersburg.