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Mayo Clinic is an international leader in diagnosing and treating Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), which includes ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease and pouchitis. Mayo provides care for more than 5,000 patients who have IBD each year. Special IBD clinics at all three Mayo Clinic locations bring together a variety of specialists — from gastroenterology, colon and rectal surgery, radiology and pathology — to focus on the needs of IBD patients. At Mayo, IBD patients have access to the latest treatment approaches and leading experts on IBD.
Mayo has made important contributions to the treatment of IBD over the years, including pioneering surgeries, groundbreaking research discoveries and effective new therapies. Mayo Clinic serves as the coordinating center for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) clinical research alliance, a group of 70 medical centers testing new drug therapies for ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., ranked No. 1 among U.S. hospitals in the specialty of digestive disorders in the 2007 U.S. News Best Hospitals ranking.
Mayo offers the latest in screening and diagnostic services for IBD. Diagnostic tools include laboratory tests, endoscopic procedures and radiology tests. Read more about diagnosis of IBD.
Treatment for IBD is highly individualized. Physicians tailor treatment for each patient depending on the type and severity of the symptoms. Treatment options for IBD include dietary changes, medications and sometimes surgery. Counseling can also help combat the emotional distress of having a chronic illness. This, in turn, may affect symptoms. Read more about treatment.
It is estimated that more than 1 million Americans have ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, the most common forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). These diseases are so similar that they are often mistaken for one another. Both inflame the lining of the digestive tract and cause severe bouts of watery diarrhea and abdominal pain. But Crohn's disease can occur anywhere in the digestive tract, often spreading deep into the layers of affected tissues. Ulcerative colitis usually affects only the innermost lining (mucosa) of the large intestine (colon) and rectum.
IBD is especially common in older children and adolescents. Young patients are at particular risk for growth retardation, or for delay of sexual maturation. Moreover, given the length of time that these patients need treatment, they are susceptible to long-term complications from their medications.
IBD patients may experience a series of complications that affect the body beyond the intestinal tract. For example, patients with ulcerative colitis can develop severe arthritis, liver disease, kidney stones, gallstones and mouth ulcers that prohibit swallowing or eating.
Read more at:
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A service of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Sam and Laura Kirstein biked across the country to show that people with inflammatory bowel disease can still lead an active life. "If you persevere, there is light at the end of the tunnel."
Read Sam and Laura's story.
Read all patient stories.
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