TAMPA, Fla. — Pediatric patients with a chronic inflammatory condition of the esophagus can now get a scope without going under general anesthesia.

Kids with eosinophilic esophagitis, or EOE, can experience trouble swallowing, food getting stuck and poor growth. Transnasal endoscopies (TNE) allows the upper GI tract to be monitored without sedation.

“I see many patients who have been scoped under anesthesia eight times, 10 times, 14 times, and they’re coming because they’re seeking something less invasive,” said Dr. Racha Khalaf, Medical Director of Pediatric GI at Muma Children’s Hospital at Tampa General Hospital.

Khalaf also serves as an associate professor and Chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

Ten-year-old Shark Smith was the first pediatric patient to have the procedure performed at Muma Children’s Hospital at Tampa General Hospital. The fifth grader has had EOE since he was a baby.

Shark’s mother, Jennifer, says they learned of the diagnosis after doctors found scarring in Shark’s esophagus after he swallowed a penny at age two.

“Left untreated, it was my understanding that he would eventually have to have a feeding tube,” said Smith. “We went through extensive allergy testing, food eliminations, all kinds of food eliminations, we tried over-the-counter things, we tried prescriptions, we couldn’t find anything that would put it into remission.”

After at least seven scopes where Shark was put under anesthesia and five years of searching for answers, the family finally found one.

“I’m scoping him through his nostril, so the camera is going through his nostril, going down,” said Khalaf as she showed video of Shark’s TNE.

Khalaf started the Pediatric GI Center of Excellence at Muma Children’s Hospital at TGH and performed Shark’s procedure.

“I think this allows us to make treatment changes and not worry about my child’s going to need another sedated scope again,” said Khalaf.

Shark’s scope found the new medication he was taking was working.

“After that, it was a game-changer,” said Shark, who enjoyed eating some BBQ chips at home after the procedure. “I couldn’t eat BBQ stuff like this because it would hurt, it would tingle my esophagus and it wasn’t a very pleasant feeling."

In remission, Shark doesn’t have to worry anymore about that not-so-pleasant feeling with food.

“Now, I am loving these,” said Shark of the BBQ chips. “I can eat so much more spicy foods, and now I just got opened up to a new world because of not having all these restrictions and medicines."

“It’s great because he can be like any other child running around and doing what he wants to do,” said Jennifer.