Inflammatory Bowel Disease IBD
The inflammation and ulceration in the small and large intestines associated with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD)—Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis—cause debilitating symptoms and impair patients' quality of life.
When you come to us for your care, you can be assured you are receiving treatment based on the latest medical advances, personalized for you, from teams of IBD experts who are also conducting research to improve IBD therapies. Our goal is to help you achieve wellness and a high quality of life despite IBD.
Whom We Treat
We care for people with:
- Ulcerative colitis. An inflammation of the innermost lining of the large intestine (colon or bowel) and rectum.
- Crohn's disease. An inflammation that usually involves the lining and walls of the small intestine, most often the lower part called the "ileum." It may also affect the large intestine and other parts of the digestive system and can spread deep into the tissue.
A Team of IBD Specialists
The care of people with IBD is complex and requires a team with a deep understanding of IBD and its physical and emotional impact. At NewYork-Presbyterian Queens, your IBD care team includes gastroenterologists, surgeons, nurses, registered dietitians, and others with the compassion and experience to care for people with IBD. Together your team puts together a plan of care customized to your needs and preferences.
Sometimes the inflammation of IBD affects other parts of your body. If this is the case, we can refer you to other NewYork-Presbyterian Queens specialists.
Comprehensive Diagnostic Testing
The symptoms of IBD may also be caused by other digestive illnesses. As a result, we will conduct several tests to determine if you have IBD. These may include:
- Blood tests
- Stool analyses
- Comprehensive imaging of your digestive tract
- Upper endoscopy to examine the inside of your esophagus, stomach, or duodenum (upper part of the small intestine).
- Sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy to view either the lower part of your large intestine (sigmoid colon) or your entire large intestine to look for inflammation or bleeding, using a flexible scope. If necessary, your doctor may take a small tissue sample (biopsy) from the lining of your intestine for examination.
- Video capsule endoscopy or balloon-assisted enteroscopy to assess disease activity of traditionally hard to reach areas of the small intestine.
Medications for IBD
A variety of medicines are available to treat people with IBD, depending on your disease type and symptoms. You may receive anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids, antibiotics, probiotics, drugs that suppress the immune response, or biologic drugs (which inhibit the proteins causing IBD symptoms).
If your medication is given intravenously (as biologic drugs typically are), you can receive them in our comfortable and modern infusion centers, under the care of our compassionate and experienced nurses.
Minimally Invasive IBD Surgery
If dietary and lifestyle changes and medications are not enough to control your IBD symptoms, surgery may be necessary. Whenever possible, we use minimally invasive laparoscopy, which is associated with smaller incisions, less discomfort after surgery, and a speedier recovery than open abdominal surgery.
Follow-Up Care for a Lifetime
People with IBD are at risk for colorectal cancer and osteoporosis and may have other digestive disorders, as a result of inflammatory malabsorption. Your team will provide you with the monitoring you need to find cancer early, if it does arise, and to manage any complications.