Ricardo Arbizu, MD, MS, is a pediatric gastroenterologist who specializes in neurogastroenterology and motility, a field of pediatric gastroenterology that manages disorders of the enteric nervous system of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
“The way I explain motility disorders to patients and their families is that these conditions affect the nerve and muscle cells of the GI tract, leading to abnormal function, sensation, and ultimately causing their ongoing symptoms, including unexplained abdominal pain, distension, bloating, intractable constipation, unexplained diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea," he says.
Dr. Arbizu says he puts kids at ease by explaining that their problems are common and that they are not alone. “I tell them that throughout the day, I see several kids with similar symptoms. We find out what their goals are,” he says. “And then we talk about symptom management to get them back in school and playing sports.”
Dr. Arbizu says he always knew he wanted to be a GI specialist and to work with kids. “My younger brother suffered from intractable reflux and its complications when he was growing up. I would go to a lot of his appointments with my family and I was always intrigued by how his doctors took their time explaining his symptoms and how to help him,” he says. “When I was little, I thought I would help fix my brother, but thankfully his doctors got him all better first.”
The best part of his job, Dr. Arbizu says, is getting to work not only with children but their parents. “I like the relationships we can build during the first visit and the satisfaction that I feel when I am able to explain what might be going on and how to diagnose and treat their child’s underlying condition,” he says.
Dr. Arbizu’s research focuses on evaluating the utility of the different tests used to diagnose motility disorders in children and determine if results can predict treatment response and outcomes. He is also interested in examining the differences in the intestinal microbiome and its correlation with disorders of the enteric nervous system of the GI tract.
