At the Saint Louis University School of Medicine, faculty, fellows and trainees have the unique opportunity to train under globally and regionally renowned hepatology specialists. This training provides them with the essential skills to conduct successful liver transplants.
Bariatric and 'Healthy First' Program
The Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology is home to one of only a few hospitals in the country that offer a comprehensive weight management program. Researchers in the division are investigating the factors that influence overeating and obesity in children. For the treatment of childhood obesity, the dedicated "Healthy First" weight management program includes diet and nutrition counseling, medical management, and the option of adolescent bariatric surgery for teens and young adults between the ages of 13 and 21.
We house a Level 1 Surgery Center (American College of Surgeons) and our team includes some of the most experienced surgeons and clinicians in the region.
Liver Diseases
Our faculty are internationally recognized for research into pediatric liver diseases. It is one of only a few pediatric centers in the United States participating in the Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Clinical Research Network to find treatments and novel therapeutics for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).
Our faculty and hepatologists have particular expertise in the treatment of children diagnosed with hepatitis B and C. Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital was the first hospital in the state of Missouri to offer pediatric clinical trials for Harvoni, which later was FDA-approved for children with hepatitis C. The hospital also is one of only a few pediatric centers to participate in the Hepatitis B Research Network.
Liver Transplant
For more than 22 years, the UNOS-certified liver transplant program at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital has met or exceeded national graft and patient survival outcomes.
The hospital offers isolated and multi-organ transplants, including whole and split livers. It is a long-standing member of the Society of Pediatric Liver Transplantation (SPLIT) registry, an international research collaborative. Ongoing research efforts include the identification of pioneering strategies to mitigate ischemia-reperfusion injury in livers post-transplant.
