Crohn's Disease Treatment

The treatment of Crohn’s disease involves both medical and surgical treatments.

Medical treatments include:

  • 5-ASA drugs which are anti inflammatory in the bowel
  • Steroids
  • Other immunosuppressive agents such as azathioprine
  • Antibiotics
  • Biological agents- anti-TNF alpha antibodies such as infliximab

Surgical treatments include removal of parts of the intestine (either the small or large bowel) affected by the disease known as resection.

Sometimes surgery can be used to widen narrowed areas caused by the Crohn’s disease, this is known as stricturoplasty.

Intestinal surgery for Crohn’s disease can often be carried out using a keyhole technique. Surgical procedures for Crohn's disease can include the following:

 


For patients with infection, abscess or a fistula around their bottom surgery is often required to control drain out any pus and drainage tubes known as setons may be used.

Surgery itself cannot cure Crohn’s disease but it can offer long periods of symptom relief/ remission.
If a diagnosis of Crohn’s disease has been made, patients are strongly advised to give up smoking, if they haven’t already. Smoking is a known risk factor for disease persistence and recurrence.
Crohn’s disease is a condition where sufferers can experience relapses and longer-term follow-up with regular consultations is usually recommended.  

What are the next steps?
If you think you have this condition or any of these symptoms
you will need to seek medical advice.
For more information or to make an appointment.
Contact birmingham bowel clinic on 0845 241 7762
or email enquiries@birminghambowelclinic.co.uk
If you have private medical care or wish
to pay to see a consultant.
Take this factsheet along to your own
GP and request a referral to one
of our consultants
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What our patients think...
My family and friends cannot believe the recovery I am making over such a short period of time and this is due to the fact that I had keyhole surgery with Mr Ismail, ”
Julie Stanley