Delivering Advanced Urologic Care for Children with Developmental Conditions

For children with developmental conditions such as autism, diagnosing and treating urological problems can present unique challenges. At Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health, pediatric urology experts work closely with each child’s loved ones to provide compassionate care tailored to their care needs and preferences.

Richard Schlussel, M.D., co-director of Pediatric Urology at Hackensack Meridian Health, said urologic conditions can be especially challenging to diagnose in children who are nonverbal or have difficulty describing symptoms. In many cases, parents or caregivers are the first to notice a child’s symptoms.

“I recently treated a teenage boy who came to me because his parents and aides noticed he was showing signs of discomfort during urination,” said Dr. Schlussel. “The young man was nonverbal, and after listening to his parents’ description of his condition, we decided that the best course of treatment was to perform a cystoscopy to look inside his bladder and urinary tract while he was under anesthesia in the operating room.”

During the procedure, Dr. Schlussel identified and removed abnormal tissue causing the young man’s symptoms, and several weeks later, the patient’s parents reported a significant improvement in the child’s mood and comfort.

In another case, Dr. Schlussel treated a young man experiencing difficulty emptying his bladder. However, because the young man was nonverbal and became combative when his caregivers attempted to insert a traditional catheter through the urethra, managing his condition was a challenge.

“We performed a reconstruction procedure that would allow his caregivers to slip a catheter through the young man’s abdominal wall to more easily empty his bladder,” said Dr. Schlussel. “After treatment, the patient’s parents reported that he seemed much more comfortable and some of his developmental symptoms had become less severe. The patient and family were so grateful — the young man even gave me a hug, which was a huge milestone for him.”

Learn more about our advancements in pediatric urology.