It’s not uncommon to experience occasional diarrhea or constipation, but for patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease, these occur on a regular basis. Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Crohn’s disease frequently affects the top of the colon and the end of the small bowel, although it can also affect any area of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Nearly 3 million Americans that suffer from IBD and Crohn’s disease.
Dr. Dennis Begos explains how surgery can improve Crohn’s disease symptoms significantly
“Medication and diet are not always effective for treating IBD and Crohn’s disease specifically. In certain situations, surgery is vital for proper bowel function and improving one’s overall health systemically.” Said Dr. Begos. “Surgical treatments for Crohn’s disease include small bowel resection, resection or repair of fistula, abscess drainage, strictureplasty, colectomy, and proctocolectomy. Many of these cases can be performed using minimally invasive techniques.”
Fistula & Abscess Removal
If medications do not shrink or control fistulas or abscesses, these must be corrected surgically. Usually, this type of surgery is minimally invasive. Fistulas are very common in patients with Crohn’s disease.
Strictureplasty
A strictureplasty may be necessary if the bowel narrows due to scar tissue build-up. This procedure opens and widens the small bowel without any excisions of the intestines. However, in some cases, removing areas of the intestines and performing resection is essential. The resection rejoins the healthy ends of the intestines and is also a very common procedure.
Colectomy
In some cases, a colectomy may be required, which removes the colon or portions of it with resection. Proctocolectomy removes both the colon and the rectum. This meticulous procedure usually requires an additional step, ileostomy, which relocates the end of the small intestine into the abdominal wall for drainage purposes. An ileostomy bag is necessary after this procedure.
Dr. Dennis Begos
Colorectal surgeons diagnose and treat benign and malignant disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. Surgeon, Dr. Dennis Begos has over 20 years of clinical experience in both academic and community hospitals and has held numerous key leadership positions, including Medical Staff President and Chair of Surgery. With his extensive experience in teaching and medical writing, Dr. Begos has been highly esteemed by his peers and patients over the past few decades, as he is recognized for his surgical expertise, innovation, and his significant experience with quality and patient safety analysis and reporting.
