Tummy Troubles

MITO Meeting: MONTHLY INTERNATIONAL TELECONFERENCE OUTREACH

Join us this month with Dr. Alex Flores, Chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center, and an Associate Professor at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, MA.

Dr. Flores works closely with Dr. Mark Korson to support the special group of patients with mitochondrial disease and a dominant GI dysfunction as part of their disease symptoms.

Dr. Flores is board certified in Pediatric Gastroenterology and Pediatrics. In addition to developing the LAPEG procedure, Dr. Flores’ specialties include GI motility disorders, and general pediatric gastroenterology.

Dr. Flores will share his perspective on the most common GI issues for children and adults affected by mitochondrial disease.

• What are some possible causes of the symptoms?
• How is dysmotility related to mitochondrial function?
• Does autonomic dysfunction play a role?
• What are the recommendations and supportive treatments for these GI issues?

This MitoAction podcast summary introduces Dr. Alex Flores, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Tufts Floating Hospital for Children.  He discusses the specific issues, causes, symptoms, and solutions for children with GI motility problems.  This podcast summary also includes questions posed by listeners.

About the Speaker

Dr. Alex Flores is a pediatric gastroenterologist.  He is Chief of the Pediatric Gastroenterology Department at Tufts Floating Hospital and works to support patients with mitochondrial disease who have particular issues with GI dysfunction.

Although it can be difficult to find physicians who specialize in GI dysmotility AND mitochondrial disease, Dr. Flores has been researching this issue for thirty years and calls GI motility his area of expertise.  During his 15 years working with the Digestive Center at the Floating Hospital he has developed innovative techniques and tests to assess GI motility that often occurs in patients with mitochondrial disease.

When it comes to mitochondrial disorders, there are a heterogeneous group of symptoms and problems.  Mito problems deal with the impairment of energy production that affects every organ in the body and commonly destructs the functionality of the GI tract.  Mitochondria provide energy for the cell and are involved in every process that exists in the human body. Dr. Flores is interested in the gastrointestinal issues that are associated with mitochondrial disease particularly.