Specialist Spotlight: Michael Dingeldein, MD, Pediatric Surgeon

UH Clinical Update - April 2017

 Michael Dingeldein, MD

For University Hospitals pediatric surgeon Michael Dingeldein, MD, variety is the spice of life.

“One of the reasons all four of us in the division do pediatric surgery is the breadth,” says Dr. Dingeldein, now in his third year at UH. “We’ll see everyone from an infant to a 22-year-old, with everything from abscesses to complex liver conditions. We do all the basic ‘bread and butter’ of pediatric surgery – hernias, appendectomies, abscesses, etc. But we do advanced procedures as well, such as thorascopic lung resection and laparoscopic repair of duodenal atresia.”

Dr. Dingeldein, Director of Pediatric Trauma at UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, completed his medical degree at Ohio State University. He completed general surgery residency training at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and stayed in Chicago to complete fellowship training in pediatric surgical critical care at Lurie Children’s Hospital. After another fellowship in pediatric surgery at Children’s Hospital of Oklahoma, Dr. Dingeldein joined UH. He is triple-boarded in surgery, surgical critical care and pediatric surgery.

Within the UH system, Dr. Dingeldein operates at UH Rainbow and UH Ahuja. In addition, he sees patients at UH Rainbow, UH Landerbrook, UH Twinsburg and UH Strongsville office locations.

Dr. Dingeldein credits the services that support pediatric surgery with helping to create a positive experience for his patients and their families.

“We have a great group of five pediatric surgery nurse practitioners that are in the hospital and clinics with us – seeing patients with us, getting families ready,” he says. “They are available by phone from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday. They also round with us on the weekends and help us cover the inpatient service. When the residents and attendings are busy in the OR, they’re the ones out of the floor talking to families and making sure they understand. We also rely on the full-service care that Rainbow offers – pediatric social workers, child life specialists, pediatric surgical floor nurses – that 360 degree approach of total pediatric care.”

Dr. Dingeldein says he’s eager to consult with any UH primary care provider on potential pediatric surgical cases.

“Like all of us in the division, I am a full-service pediatric surgeon,” he says. “Primary care providers can reach us 24/7 if they call our main number. In the off hours, the answering service will page the attending on call. During office hours, they can talk quickly to an attending or nurse practitioner.”

For more information about Dr. Dingeldein or to make a referral, please call 216-844-3015.