Overview of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program
The Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program at
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Digestive Disease Institute specializes in the
diagnosis of bowel disorders to help patients manage their conditions and
improve their quality of life.
Patients suffering from IBD receive care from a
multidisciplinary team of physicians and specialists who are experts in a wide
range of treatment therapies. Treatment options range from nutritional support
and medication to minimally invasive surgery. Our multidisciplinary team of
experts creates a Patients First treatment plan that meets the specific needs
of each patient in a tailored manner, depending on the diagnosis and the
severity of the condition.
What We Treat
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of
disorders that cause acute and chronic inflammation of the digestive tract.
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are the most commonly diagnosed of these
diseases. Proper diagnosis and assessment of these conditions are critical to
providing optimal treatment, properly managing these conditions, and helping
patients improve their quality of life.
There are many approaches available for managing
a patient’s condition, some of which include:
- Several types of medications
- Various surgical procedures, including new minimally invasive techniques
- Nutritional evaluation and support
- Close monitoring and management of potential complications related to the disease or to the medications
Diagnosis & Treatment
At the Digestive Disease Institute at Cleveland
Clinic Abu Dhabi, our team of specialists are highly trained in a variety of
procedures for the diagnosis and therapeutic treatment of inflammatory bowel
disease.
Diagnosis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Making an accurate diagnosis is essential to
being able to provide the best care for the patient. Inflammatory bowel disease
can be difficult to diagnose correctly. Some other conditions may
symptomatically appear as if they were inflammatory bowel disease, or
ulcerative colitis can be mistaken for Crohn’s disease, and vice versa. The
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has a skilled
team of experts who specialize in the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease
based on symptoms, a clinical examination, and test results.
A variety of specialized diagnostic tests are
available at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, including:
- Gastroscopy: A procedure where a thin, flexible tube with a camera on the end is inserted into the mouth and through the esophagus to assess the health of the esophagus, stomach, and the duodenum.
- Colonoscopy: A procedure where a thin, flexible tube with a camera is used to assess the health of the colon.
- Flexible sigmoidoscopy: A procedure in which a thin, flexible tube with a camera on the end is used to assess the health of the rectum and the lower portion of the colon.
- Balloon-assisted enteroscopy: Also know as deep enteroscopy, this is a technique that uses a balloon to allow a thiin, flexible tube to enter further into the digestive tract. It is used to reach into the small bowel to assess the health of the small intestine.
During these procedures, tissue samples can be
obtained and analyzed in the lab to help achieve an accurate diagnosis.
Capsule endoscopy: A test that involves swallowing a wireless camera in the shape of a
pill. When swallowed, the camera takes pictures of the inside of the entire
digestive tract and can help visualize areas of the bowel that are not visibly
accessible through a regular endoscopy.
Magnetic Resonance Enterography
(MRE): A non-invasive imaging test that takes
pictures of the digestive tract, allowing physicians to identify abnormalities
in the bowel without using invasive or minimally invasive methods.
X-ray: An imaging test that produces images of various parts of the body,
such as the intestines.
Contrast x-ray: An imaging test that uses a special contrast dye, such as barium or
iodine, to produce more detailed images of the body.
CT scan: An imaging test that produces images of the organs and can detect
complications of inflammatory bowel disease, such as blockages of the
intestines.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program Caregivers
The Inflammatory
Bowel Disease Program brings together a diverse team of healthcare experts.
Caregivers involved in patient care for this program are:
- Physicians
- Surgeons
- Clinic nurses
- Clinical pharmacists
- Clinical nutritionists
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