Badr Al Bawardy, MD, is a gastroenterologist at Yale Medicine specializing in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), an umbrella term that describes two conditions that cause chronic inflammation within the digestive system: Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. He performs the following procedures: esophagogastroduodenoscopy (a diagnostic endoscopic procedure for the upper digestive tract, also known as EGD), colonoscopy, chromoendoscopy, and video capsule endoscopy.
Dr. Al Bawardy earned his MD with distinction from the George Washington University. After medical school, he completed an internal medicine residency, gastroenterology fellowship, and a specialized inflammatory bowel disease fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, which gave him valuable experience treating the disease alongside leaders in the field.
The exact causes of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are unknown, but certain factors make people more likely to develop IBD: an overactive immune system, inflammation due to “different” gut flora, and family history.
Regardless of their cause, both colitis and Crohn’s disease share symptoms—diarrhea and abdominal discomfort, and both occur in alternating periods of flare-up (with symptoms) and remission (without symptoms).
Because IBD is a chronic medical condition, it often requires doctors to build long-term relationships with patients to manage their care, which can include bowel rest, medications, and surgery. This type of medical care was appealing to Dr. Al Bawardy. He is a proponent of shared decision-making in the management of IBD.
When meeting patients, Dr. Al Bawardy discusses risks, benefits, and goals of treatment with his patients so they can make an informed decision about their care. He also asks them about their preferences related to lifestyle and career, for example. He takes all this information into account when developing a treatment plan.
“My philosophy is that the patient always comes first,” he says.
In addition to caring for IBD patients, Dr. Al Bawardy’s clinical interests include evaluating and treating patients with celiac disease, microscopic colitis, and general gastroenterology.
Dr. Al Bawardy also conducts research and is an assistant professor of medicine (digestive diseases) at Yale School of Medicine.
