If you have been diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), you are not alone. More than 600,000 Americans are identified every year with some form of IBD.

Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are the most common and best recognized forms of IBD and can involve the entire digestive tract. Both are known as "idiopathic" conditions, as their cause is usually unknown. However, research has shown a genetic component may exist.

California Pacific’s team of medical and surgical experts is available to help you find the treatment option that best suits your IBD condition. Our goal is to alleviate bowel inflammation through medications or surgical interventions, enhancing the quality of your daily life.

As a research facility, we are actively involved in the development of new treatments for IBD conditions. This allows our patients the unique opportunity to take advantage of new treatment options as soon as they become available.

• What Are the Symptoms?
• IBD Diagnostic Testing
• Treatment Options for Ulcerative Colitis
• Treatment Options for Crohn’s Disease

What Are the Symptoms?

Loose, watery or frequent bowel movements

Abdominal pain and cramping

Fever

Rectal bleeding

Loss of appetite

Skin ulcer(s) or irritations on legs or arms (psoriasis like)

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IBD Diagnostic Testing

Diagnostic Testing
After a thorough physical exam, a series of tests may be required to diagnose ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. These may include blood tests, imaging studies and colonoscopy.
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Treatment Options for Ulcerative Colitis

Medical Treatment
Treatment with anti-inflammatory medications, in conjunction with diet and lifestyle modification, is the first treatment usually explored, as certain foods and emotional stress can cause symptoms to flare. In more severe cases steroids or immune modulators may be needed.

Surgical Treatments
In more severe cases with failure of medical therapy, development of cancer, or changes in the colon, such as toxic colitis or toxic megacolon, surgical therapy may be required. Most patients require a proctocolectomy. In many cases permanent stoma can be avoided and for many patients the procedure can be performed utilizing minimally invasively laparoscopic surgical techniques.

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Treatment Options for Crohn’s Disease

Medical Treatment
Treatment includes medications to control inflammation and relieve abdominal pain, diarrhea and rectal bleeding. While medications aid in symptom relief, nutritional supplements and vitamins help restore the nutrients lost due to poor absorption, diarrhea, and reduced appetite. Unlike ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease symptoms are usually not influenced by diet of modification or emotional stress.

Surgical Treatments
Currently, there is no known cure for Crohn’s disease, but medical and surgical intervention may produce long-term symptom relief. Therefore, surgery is reserved for patients who have failed to adequately respond to medical therapy and have severe disease, such as Crohn’s fistulas, anal/rectal Crohn’s and severe recurrent Crohn’s in the small and large bowel. Small bowel resection or stricturoplasty may be required. In many patients, the procedure can be performed utilizing minimally invasively laparoscopic surgical techniques.

• Additional Information on Irritable Bowel Syndrome from Healthwise

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