How Is Inflammatory Bowel Disease Diagnosed and Managed?

Inflammatory bowel disease can cause lasting issues outside of your intestines if it’s not properly dealt with by your proper surgeons. Your doctors at Suburban Surgical Associates/Suburban Metabolic Institute in Berwyn, La Grange, and Elmhurst, IL, can meet with you can discuss the best form of treatment to help you feel comfortable in your everyday life.

Managing and Diagnosing Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease usually refers to a group of disorders that are caused by chronic inflammation that causes damage to your gastrointestinal tract. The two most common types of inflammatory bowel disease are Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s disease. Common symptoms you can experience with either disease are:

  • Diarrhea or constipation
  • Cramping or abdominal pain
  • Blood in your stool
  • Loss of appetite
  • Fever
  • Fatigue
  • Unexplained weight loss

To diagnose either disease, your surgeon in Berwyn, La Grange, and Elmhurst, IL, will perform a test to get abdominal imaging by using a CT scan or an endoscopic test, such as an upper endoscopy. These tests will help your doctor determine where inflammation is happening and how severe it is. A biopsy may be taken to confirm the diagnosis and from there, your doctor can figure out the best plan of action for managing your inflammatory bowel disease.

Usually, surgery may be needed to manage your pain and help you to live a more comfortable life. There are minimally invasive surgeries offered that can make the process easier to face. With Ulcerative Colitis, your doctor can perform the procedure laparoscopically which can help minimize any scarring that may occur and can help recovery happen as quickly as possible. The surgery involves creating a neo-rectum out of the small intestine that is attached to the anus.

Treating Crohn’s disease involves surgery where your doctor will either remove or repair the inflamed part of the intestine. Your doctor will then reconnect the healthy sections of your intestine and after surgery, you will have to keep checking in for follow-ups to be sure that another flare-up doesn’t happen in the same site.

Contact Your Surgeon Today!

If you feel you may be suffering from inflammatory bowel disease, it’s imperative that you contact your doctor as soon as possible to get a diagnosis and start managing your disease immediately. Contact your doctors at Suburban Surgical Associates/Suburban Metabolic Institute in Berwyn, La Grange, and Elmhurst, IL, at (708) 484-0621 today!

Please call our office number (708)484-0621 for all questions and appointment requests.