Your Visit to the Spina Bifida Clinic

Your appointment in the Spina Bifida Clinic will be different from a simple doctor visit. Our program lets families see any or all of our specialists during one outpatient clinic visit. Because of this, your appointment will last several hours.

Clinic appointments take place in the afternoon of the second, fourth and fifth Monday of each month, on the 6th floor of Doctor’s Office Tower at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Some appointments may take place with individual specialists in their main practice locations.

We see patients

• Two to three weeks after discharge from the NICU
• Every three months for the first year
• Every six months until age 3
• Annually until age 18

Your appointment will last several hours, allowing time to meet with multiple specialists. Bring toys, snacks and activities in case there is a wait between specialist visits. Our clinic coordinator will contact you the week prior to your visit with information about imaging, labs, and any changes to the schedule.

We schedule and coordinate each patient appointment based the patient's unique care plan. Our patient care coordinator works with the team to schedule diagnostic imaging the morning of your appointment day. Diagnostic imaging can include MRIs, X-rays, video urodynamics, and ultrasounds. Some patients may need special tests that may include blood draws. If your child need tests like these done, our clinic coordinator will let you know when they will take place.

You can find appointment details in the appointment schedule on My Health at Vanderbilt. Our coordinator will contact you the week prior to your visit to discuss these details.

After you and your child have been roomed in the Spina Bifida Clinic, each specialist will meet with you there. If your child will need follow up tests or diagnostic imaging, the coordinator will let you know what to expect. You can find return visit information on My Health at Vanderbilt about a week after your appointment has been completed.