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Inflammatory Bowel Disease

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Overview

Living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can be challenging but can be more easily managed when you have an expert team to help you during your journey. At Yale New Haven Health's IBD Center, our team of specialists provides personalized care for patients with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. We specialize in caring for all IBD patients from those who were recently diagnosed to others who may be considered complicated, including patients who have been on multiple prior IBD treatments, patients who have had multiple surgeries, patients with perianal disease, and patients who are having symptoms after a total colectomy with ileal-pouch anal anastomosis (also called a J-pouch).

At Yale New Haven Health’s IBD Center, we bring together experts in gastroenterology, colorectal surgery, nutrition, pharmacy, infusion therapy, and ostomy care to create and implement treatment plans tailored to your needs and goals. Together, we strive to help you feel better, reduce inflammation in your intestines, and prevent future complications from IBD. By treating both your symptoms and the underlying disease, we work with you to achieve lasting remission and help you get back to living your life, not thinking about your IBD.

How is IBD diagnosed?

A diagnosis of IBD can be life changing, so an accurate diagnosis is important. There is no single test to diagnose Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, but diagnosis is based on a combination of clinical symptoms with laboratory findings, colonoscopy and pathology findings and/or imaging studies depending on the area of your GI tract that is inflamed. The IBD experts at Yale New Haven Health understand that every patient is different and not all IBD can be treated the same way.

Yale New Haven Health’s IBD Center offers a comprehensive process involving multiple diagnostic steps, where all information is evaluated by IBD specialists:

  • Symptoms and medical history
  • Blood tests
  • Stool studies
  • Imaging (Radiology)
    • Computed tomography enterography (CTE)
    • Magnetic resonance enterography (MRE)
    • Intestinal Ultrasound
  • Endoscopy (replaces basic colonoscopy)
    • Endoscopy / Enteroscopy / Colonoscopy
    • Video capsule endoscopy
    • Chromoendoscopy
    • Pouchoscopy
    • Ileoscopy
  • Biopsy and pathology review

Non-Invasive IBD Monitoring with Same-Day Results

The experts at Yale New Haven Health’s IBD Center are the first to bring intestinal ultrasound (IUS) to Connecticut. IUS is a non-invasive tool used to detect and monitor intestinal inflammation during a regular office visit.

The benefits of intestinal ultrasound assessment include:

  • No preparation or fasting required
  • Immediate review of results with your doctor or clinician
  • Real-time treatment recommendations and next steps based on the findings
  • Convenient, non-invasive testing

The use of IUS as part of the management of inflammatory bowel disease has been in practice outside of the U.S. for decades but has more recently been incorporated into IBD care at U.S. academic centers.

Is Yale New Haven Health’s IBD Center Right for You?

You should consider seeing an IBD specialist if:

  • You have recently been diagnosed with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis and you want to talk about your treatment options and the goals of IBD treatment.
  • Your symptoms are not improving, or you are having side effects with your current treatment.
  • You have been told that you may need surgery and would like to discuss your options with a colorectal surgeon who specializes in IBD surgeries and/or meet with an IBD specialist to see if medical treatment is an option.
  • You would like a second opinion about your diagnosis or treatment plan.
  • You have questions about pregnancy with IBD and would like to meet with an IBD expert before getting pregnant.
  • You are currently pregnant and have active symptoms and would like to discuss your treatment options while pregnant.
  • You have a J-pouch and are having symptoms that are impacting your life, and you would like to discuss your treatment options.
  • You have been diagnosed with pre-cancerous changes during a recent colonoscopy, and you would like to discuss further evaluation and treatment.
  • You are having issues (like skin irritation or leakage) with your current ostomy and would like to discuss treatment options.

    • Personalized IBD Treatment, For Your Specific Needs

    We know that no two patients experience IBD in the same way. That's why we work with you to determine your best plan of care. Treatment often begins with a discussion regarding your medication options that can reduce inflammation and control your symptoms. Our goal is to select a therapy that will keep your inflammation under control (called remission) and prevent the inflammation from coming back for as long as possible. For some patients, surgery may also be recommended as part of a comprehensive treatment approach.

    For those patients who have already undergone surgery, we have experienced ostomy nurses who can help address any ostomy and ostomy appliance concerns. We also believe that nutrition plays an as a part of IBD treatment and recovery, which is why we work closely with IBD nutritionists who can help tailor dietary changes to further help as you heal.

    Our goal is to help you:

    • Reduce and resolve symptoms

    • Prevent disease complications

    • Improve quality of life

    • Maintain long-term disease control

    • Stay active and healthy

    Medical Treatments

    Our IBD experts stay up to date on the treatment options for IBD. We know how they work, who they work best for, possible adverse side effects, and ways to monitor and prevent complications from the use of these medications. We also work closely with a team of clinical pharmacists who can help get IBD medications approved by your insurance company.

    Surgical Care

    When surgery is needed, our experienced colorectal surgeons have expertise in surgery specifically for patients with IBD. Our surgeons use minimally invasive, including robotic and laparoscopic, surgical approaches whenever possible. They collaborate with the medical IBD team to ensure the best medical and surgical treatment for each patient. Our goals are to repair complications from long-term intestinal inflammation, including strictures, fistula and precancerous or cancerous changes.

    Specialized Infusion Services

    For patients receiving infusion (or intravenous [IV]) therapies, Yale New Haven Health offers dedicated infusion centers with onsite pharmacy support.

    Our team includes:

    • Specially trained pharmacists who prepare the medications
    • Experienced infusion nurses who administer treatments
    • Physicians who monitor your progress throughout your care

    Comprehensive Support Services

    Managing IBD often requires more than medical treatment alone. We offer additional services to support you and your family throughout your care journey.

    Services include:

    • Second opinions for diagnoses, medications, and surgical recommendations
    • Weekly multidisciplinary review of complex cases
    • Nutrition support and counseling
    • Ostomy education and support (our nurses are certified by the Wound Ostomy and Continence Nurses (WOCN) Society, recognized world-wide for advanced training and promotion of safe and effective wound, ostomy and continence care)
    • Access to clinical trials and research studies

    Advanced and Innovative IBD Care

    As a leader in IBD treatment and research, Yale New Haven Health offers patients’ opportunities to participate in many types of IBD research. We actively participate in clinical trials for new IBD medications. We also work closely with the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation as an active site for their ongoing quality improvement study called IBD QORUS which is a study focused on finding ways to improve the quality of care for all patients with IBD. In addition, we participate in multicenter, investigator-initiated studies to address the ongoing need for more effective IBD treatment options. If you are interested in learning more about our open studies, please schedule an appointment.

    Patient Resources

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    Urgent/Walk-In Care

    Emergency department level care for non-life-threatening injuries and illnesses.
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    Pediatric Gastroenterology Services

    Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital offers a full array of pediatric gastroenterology programs.
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    Clinical Trials

    Our patients have access to the most advanced digestive health clinical trials offered through Yale Medicine.
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    What Is Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)?

    More than 2.4 million people in the U.S. have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and cases are on the rise. Some people defer help because they’re uncomfortable talking about symptoms, but IBD is a chronic condition that needs to be managed long-term.

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    Yale School of Medicine

    Yale New Haven Health is proud to be affiliated with the prestigious Yale University and its highly ranked Yale School of Medicine.