The 20 Best Tracheoesophageal Fistula Doctors in The United States

Ryan Chua is an Intensive Care Medicine specialist and a Pulmonary Medicine provider practicing medicine in Leominster, Massachusetts. He has been practicing medicine for over 23 years. Dr. Chua is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Tracheoesophageal Fistula. He is also highly rated in 33 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Tracheoesophageal Fistula, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Lung Metastases, Gastrostomy, and Endoscopy. Dr. Chua is board certified in Critical Care Medicine , Internal Medicine , and Pulmonary Disease.

Samaan Rafeq is an Intensive Care Medicine provider practicing medicine in New York, New York. Dr. Rafeq is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Tracheoesophageal Fistula. He is also highly rated in 8 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Tracheoesophageal Fistula, Lymphofollicular Hyperplasia, Lung Nodules, Advanced Bronchoscopy, and Endoscopy.

Shawn St Peter is a Pediatric Surgeon practicing medicine in Kansas City, Missouri. Dr. St Peter is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Tracheoesophageal Fistula. He is also highly rated in 25 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Appendicitis, Tracheoesophageal Fistula, Infantile Pneumothorax, Appendectomy, and Gastrostomy.

Dave Lal is a Pediatric Surgeon practicing medicine in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Dr. Lal is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Tracheoesophageal Fistula. He is also highly rated in 8 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Tracheoesophageal Fistula, Esophageal Atresia, Gastrointestinal Fistula, Oophorectomy, and Appendectomy.

Dr. Russell “Rusty” Jennings, a pioneer of pediatric surgical procedures for malformed esophageal and tracheal conditions, is a surgeon in the Esophageal and Airway Treatment (EAT) Program at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, which he joined in 2022. A pediatric surgeon for more than 40 years, Dr. Jennings founded and directed the world’s first Esophageal and Airway Treatment (EAT) Center at Boston Children’s Hospital. There he led a multidisciplinary team that worked on solving unsolved problems, and developed innovative techniques for evaluation, diagnosis and successful treatment of: complex esophageal strictures esophageal atresia “long gap” esophageal atresia esophageal replacement tracheo-esophageal fistulas recurrent tracheo-esophageal fistulas laryngo-tracheo-esophageal clefts tracheomalacia bronchomalacia tracheal reconstruction aberrant subclavian artery vascular compression syndromes vascular rings pectus excavatum chest wall deformities asphyxiating thoracic dystrophies recurrent laryngeal nerve monitoring during thoracic surgery Dr. Jennings has many publications on these topics including the largest series of successful treatment of complex recurrent tracheoesophageal fistulas in the literature with excellent outcomes, techniques to grow patients’ tissues to allow repair and connection of the esophagus in cases of esophageal atresia and esophageal injury, esophageal replacement with jejunum, and treatment of tracheomalacia. He has frequently taught and presented on these and numerous other related topics regionally, nationally, and internationally. Dr. Jennings’ prior work includes establishing the first fetal surgery center in New England; Dr. Jennings developed the first successful fetal cardiac surgery program in the world treating HLHS before birth. Dr. Jennings earned his medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco. His general surgery residency was done at the University of California, San Francisco. He was a postdoctoral research fellow for three years in the Fetal Treatment Center and Fetal Treatment Laboratory while completing the residency. He completed a pediatric surgery fellowship at Boston Children’s/Harvard Medical School. Dr. Jennings is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Tracheoesophageal Fistula. He is also highly rated in 6 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Esophageal Atresia, Tracheoesophageal Fistula, Gastrointestinal Fistula, Double Aortic Arch, and Endoscopy. Dr. Jennings is board certified in American Board Of Surgery.

Dr. Peter Minneci grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and did all his training in the northeast. After medical school at NYU, he worked at the National Institute of Health (NIH) and did his surgical training in Boston and Philadelphia. Dr. Minneci also devotes time to clinical research to continually improve treatment plans and patient outcomes. I really enjoy working with children. They are an embodiment of joy, hope and resilience. I strive to improve pediatric surgical care so that I can provide the best outcome at the highest value to everyone involved.My areas of expertise include:Abdominal MassesAnti-Reflux SurgeryBreast DisordersColorectal disordersCongenital anomaliesExtracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)Gallbladder DiseaseHernias and HydrocelesIntestinal FailureLung masses/lesionsMinimally invasive surgeryPilonidal DiseaseWound Care I approach problems through the perspective of my patients and their families, so I can work through situations in a way that best fits the family’s needs. I also break down complex processes to make them more manageable and approachable. Dr. Minneci is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Tracheoesophageal Fistula. He is also highly rated in 30 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Appendicitis, Pilonidal Sinus Disease, Tracheoesophageal Fistula, Appendectomy, and Oophorectomy. Dr. Minneci is board certified in American Board Of Surgery.

Katherine Deans is a Pediatric Surgeon practicing medicine in Wilmington, Delaware. She has been practicing medicine for over 52 years. Dr. Deans is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Tracheoesophageal Fistula. She is also highly rated in 17 other conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Appendicitis, Pilonidal Sinus Disease, Tracheoesophageal Fistula, Appendectomy, and Oophorectomy. Dr. Deans is board certified in American Board Of Surgery.

Dr. Shieh is a pediatric surgeon in the Department of Surgery at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. She joined the medical staff in 2021 and sees patients on our main campus in St. Petersburg, Florida, and also at Tampa General Hospital and Brandon Regional Hospital. Her clinical focus includes esophageal and airway treatment (EAT). Dr. Shieh earned her medical degree from the University of Arizona College of Medicine — Phoenix. She completed her general surgery residency at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, during which she did a pediatric surgery research fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital. She then completed her pediatric surgery fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Shieh speaks Mandarin Chinese and Spanish. Dr. Shieh is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Tracheoesophageal Fistula. She is also highly rated in 6 other conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Esophageal Atresia, Tracheoesophageal Fistula, Gastrointestinal Fistula, Endoscopy, and Gastrostomy. Dr. Shieh is board certified in American Board Of Surgery.

Dr. Smithers is an associate professor of surgery and director of the Esophageal and Airway Treatment (EAT) Program in the Department of Surgery at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital since 2019. He was honored for Innovations in Clinical Care at the Johns Hopkins Medicine Clinical Awards for 2020. As a leader in both innovation and expertise for pediatric thoracic surgery, he and his team see patients from all over the United States and internationally. The team also makes several invited trips per year around the country and world for lectures and conferences, in addition to helping patients and teaching other surgical teams regarding complex esophageal and airway surgical techniques in the operating room. Dr. Smithers previously served as assistant professor of surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital from 2009-2019, as part of their groundbreaking EAT program. His clinical specialties are congenital and acquired conditions of the esophagus and airway, vascular rings, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), surgical critical care, and minimally invasive surgery. He earned his medical degree from Albany Medical College and completed his residency in general surgery at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. He served as fellow in pediatric surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital after completing a research fellowship and a surgical critical care fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital. He also completed a global surgery clinical fellowship at Harvard Medical School. Videos Meet Jason Smithers, M.D. What is esophageal stricture and how is it treated? What is tracheomalacia and how is it treated? What is recurrent tracheoesophageal fistula (rTEF) and how is it treated? What is long gap esophageal atresia and how is it treated?. Dr. Smithers is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Tracheoesophageal Fistula. He is also highly rated in 9 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Esophageal Atresia, Tracheoesophageal Fistula, Diaphragmatic Hernia, Gastrostomy, and Endoscopy. Dr. Smithers is board certified in American Board Of Surgery.

Ronald B. Hirschl, M.D., is the Arnold G. Coran Professor of Surgery at the University of Michigan. He trained in Pediatric Surgery at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and joined the staff at the University of Michigan in 1991. Dr. Hirschl is board certified in General Surgery, Pediatric Surgery and Surgical Critical Care and has his Master’s in Clinical Research Design and Statistical Analysis. His current research and clinical areas of interest are in the management of respiratory failure, especially with extracorporeal support (ECLS, ECMO) and the implantable artificial lung. Dr. Hirschl also has expertise in applied informatics and was the Chief Medical Information Officer for the University of Michigan Health System. He served as the President of the American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA) and was a Director on the American Board of Surgery, Chair of the Pediatric Surgery Board, and a member of the Residency Review Committee (RRC) for Surgery. Administratively, Dr. Hirschl was the Section Head of Pediatric Surgery for 16 years and now serves as the Michigan Medicine Associate Chief Clinical Strategy Officer for Pediatric Services and the Medical Group Physician Lead for Revenue Enhancement. He has interests and expertise in all aspects of general Pediatric Surgery. Dr. Hirschl is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Tracheoesophageal Fistula. He is also highly rated in 18 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Hernia, Tracheoesophageal Fistula, Esophageal Atresia, Ileostomy, and Oophorectomy.

. Dr. Vali is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Tracheoesophageal Fistula. His clinical expertise encompasses Pectus Excavatum, Hirschsprung Disease, Total Intestinal Aganglionosis, Appendectomy, and Ileostomy. Dr. Vali is board certified in American Board Of Surgery.

. Dr. Iqbal is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Tracheoesophageal Fistula. He is also highly rated in 7 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Gastroschisis, Pilonidal Sinus Disease, Hernia, Appendectomy, and Pancreaticoduodenectomy. Dr. Iqbal is board certified in American Board Of Surgery.

Douglas Dothager is a Pulmonary Medicine provider practicing medicine in Belleville, Illinois. Dr. Dothager is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Tracheoesophageal Fistula. He is also highly rated in 18 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Lung Metastases, and Excessive Daytime Sleepiness.

. Dr. Mitchell is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Tracheoesophageal Fistula. She is also highly rated in 3 other conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Delayed Growth, Chronic Pain, Absence of Tibia, and Encopresis. Dr. Mitchell is board certified in American Board Of Pediatrics.

Daniel Wehrmann is a General Surgeon practicing medicine in Omaha, Nebraska. He has been practicing medicine for over 13 years. Dr. Wehrmann is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Tracheoesophageal Fistula. His clinical expertise encompasses Tracheoesophageal Fistula.

I am privileged to have achieved my lifelong goal of becoming a pediatric gastroenterologist, more specifically a pediatric neurogastroenterologist. I have a special interest and expertise in disorders of the gut-brain interaction, including motility disorders, which involve the movement of food through the GI tract, and functional disorders, which involve interactions between the brain and GI tract that affect motility. These conditions can be debilitating and yet they remain challenging to treat effectively.My team and I evaluate and treat children and adolescents using advanced, state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic techniques with multidisciplinary approach. Some of the conditions we treat are dysphagia, achalasia, gastroesophageal reflux disease, chronic nausea, gastroparesis, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic abdominal pain, severe constipation, fecal incontinence, and anorectal disorders.We think of our patients and their problems holistically and take pride in developing personal connections with patients and their families. My goal is to deliver compassionate, respectful, evidence-based, and humanistic care to children with gastrointestinal diseases.I co-direct many multidisciplinary clinics, including the Gastrointestinal Motility Center, Esophageal Atresia Clinic, Aerodigestive Program, and Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Program, and I work closely with pediatric surgeons, pulmonologists, cardiologists, ear nose throat (ENT) specialists, psychologists, and language pathologists to provide the most comprehensive care to children with complex GI medical conditions.I also take great pride in educating medical students, residents, fellows, and other providers. I have mentored several GI fellows who have joined other institutions across the county and are currently working to establish multidisciplinary clinics and expand access to care for functional and motility disorders.In addition to my clinical and education roles, my team and I conduct multiple clinical research projects focusing on functional and motility disorders. I work on clinical trials which allow our patients to have access to therapeutics that are not otherwise offered to children. This work has led to numerous presentations at national meetings and publications in high impact gastroenterology journals—all with the mission of improving children’s health and advancing the science of gastrointestinal motility and functional gastrointestinal diseases. Dr. Khlevner is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Tracheoesophageal Fistula. She is also highly rated in 7 other conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Chronic Idiopathic Constipation (CIC), Tracheoesophageal Fistula, Esophageal Atresia, Gastrostomy, and Endoscopy. Dr. Khlevner is board certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Gastroenterology. Dr. Khlevner is currently accepting new patients.

Dr. Wilsey specializes in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition in the Department of Medicine. He is the vice chair of the Division of Gastroenterology and served as chief of the medical staff from 2020-2021. In 2022, he was named Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Physician of the Year in the Johns Hopkins Medicine Clinical Awards. Dr. Wilsey is an advanced therapeutic endoscopist specializing in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for infants and children. He is one of a select group of gastroenterologists with this expertise internationally and across North America. At Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, he has developed and implemented multiple clinical innovations related to therapeutic endoscopy. He is an associate professor of clinical pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Additionally, he is a core faculty member of the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Pediatric Residency Training Program, where he serves as a faculty and research mentor for pediatric resident physicians. Dr. Wilsey has published more than 90 peer-reviewed research articles, review articles, case reports, consensus statements, and book chapters. He also serves as a peer reviewer for several medical journals, and is the associate editor of the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. He has delivered numerous talks nationally and internationally in the field of advanced therapeutic endoscopy, including the management of esophageal strictures. Dr. Wilsey joined the medical staff in 2002. He is also a clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of South Florida College of Medicine and a former associate program director of the University of South Florida Pediatric Residency Training Program. He earned his medical degree from the University of Miami School of Medicine. He completed his pediatric residency at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, followed by fellowship training in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital. Dr. Wilsey sees patients at the following location: Outpatient Care, St. Petersburg 601 5th Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 Phone: 727-822-4300 Recent News Articles and Media Coverage Study finds possible link between long COVID and mystery hepatitis in kids, Today Show - NBC (June 17, 2022) Is COVID-19 Related to Pediatric Cases of Hepatitis? Verywell Health (June 28, 2022). Dr. Wilsey is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Tracheoesophageal Fistula. He is also highly rated in 31 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Esophageal Atresia, Eosinophilic Esophagitis, Tracheoesophageal Fistula, Gastrostomy, and Endoscopy. Dr. Wilsey is board certified in American Board Of Pediatrics.

Grace Mak is a General Surgeon practicing medicine in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Mak is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Tracheoesophageal Fistula. She is also highly rated in 9 other conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (MALS), Tracheoesophageal Fistula, Gastroschisis, Oophorectomy, and Appendectomy. Dr. Mak is board certified in American Board Of Surgery.

Born in South India (Andhra), but growing up in Flushing, Queens in New York, Dr. Gadepalli has found a home in Ann Arbor. He completed his undergraduate education at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY and medical school at Albany Medical College in Albany, NY. His general surgical residency was at Morristown Memorial Hospital in Morristown, NJ. While in training, he obtained an MBA through the University of Phoenix Online program concentrating on Health Care Management. His educational accolades included Resident Teacher of the Year awards twice during residency, culminating in being a Finalist for the Resident Award for Exemplary Teaching, in 2007, given by the American College of Surgeons. He completed a Masters in Health and Health Care Research at the Institute for Health Policy and Innovation, in the North Campus Research Center.At University of Michigan, Dr. Gadepalli completed fellowships in both Surgical Critical Care and Pediatric Surgery and is board certified in General Surgery, Critical Care and Pediatric Surgery. He is the Daniel H. Teitelbaum, MD Collegiate Professor in the Department of Surgery. His clinical practice encompasses all aspects of pediatric surgery, including minimally invasive surgery, non-cardiac thoracic surgery, neonatal surgery, hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery, surgical oncology, abdominal, colorectal and genitourinary abnormalities, trauma and critical care. His unique background allows expertise in the critical care needs of the surgical neonatal and pediatric populations, including the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in children.On a personal note, he has 4 children, from elementary to high school, who keep him well grounded and up-to-date on all the newest trends. As a 90s kid, he enjoys hip hop music and dancing with his daughters and his son, who is working on becoming an Eagle Scout. He loves to play pick-up basketball and watch movies, such as StarWars, Harry Potter and the Avengers series. Dr. Gadepalli is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Tracheoesophageal Fistula. He is also highly rated in 27 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Omphalocele, Tracheoesophageal Fistula, Donnai-Barrow Syndrome, Appendectomy, and Ileostomy.

Shaun M. Kunisaki, MD, MSc, is Professor of Surgery at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, a Robert & Jane Meyerhoff Professor at Johns Hopkins University, and Associate Chief of Strategy and Integration in the Division of General Pediatric Surgery at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center. Dr. Kunisaki's clinical practice spans the full breadth of pediatric general, thoracic, and fetal surgery, but he is a nationally and internationally recognized authority in the prenatal and postnatal management of congenital thoracic anomalies, including lung malformations, esophageal atresia, and congenital diaphragmatic hernia. He is the Director of the Fetal Program in General Pediatric Surgery and chairs the Prenatal Pediatrics Steering Committee, a collaboration between the Johns Hopkins Children's Center and the Department of Gynecology & Obstetrics at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. As Director of the Pediatric Esophageal Center, he specializes in the management of complex esophageal disorders such as long-gap esophageal atresia. He serves on the Editorial Board of several journals, including Pediatrics and Surgery, and holds senior leadership positions in the American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA), Section on Surgery of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the Society of University Surgeons (SUS). Dr. Kunisaki has published over 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts and book chapters. His laboratory is funded by the National Institutes of Health and is largely focused on using stem cells derived from a patient's own tissues to better understand and treat several important pediatric surgical diseases. His team has developed techniques to reprogram fetal and neonatal tissues into pluripotent stem cells and organoids, and are working with scientists and engineers to improve long-term outcomes for children with severe birth defects, including spina bifida and congenital diaphragmatic hernia. More recently, he founded the Eastern Pediatric Surgery Network (EPSN), a clinical research collaborative composed of pediatric surgeons from over 20 children's hospitals in the country. A native of southern California, Dr. Kunisaki graduated with honors from Harvard College, the London School of Economics and Political Science, and Harvard Medical School. He completed general surgery residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School followed by a pediatric surgery fellowship at the University of Michigan. He also did additional research fellowships at the Massachusetts General Hospital and at Boston Children's Hospital. Philanthropy plays a crucial role in the work Dr. Kunisaki does by providing seed funding for research, funding for the best educational resources to train the future generation of pediatric surgeons, and additional support services for families receiving treatment that are not covered by insurance. Support Dr. Kunisaki. Dr. Kunisaki is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Tracheoesophageal Fistula. He is also highly rated in 16 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Congenital Lobar Emphysema, Diaphragmatic Hernia, Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia, Appendectomy, and Endoscopy. Dr. Kunisaki is board certified in American Board Of Surgery.