Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Program

The Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Program at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Digestive Disease Institute specializes in the diagnosis and management of inflammatory bowel disorders.

Patients with IBD receive care from a multidisciplinary team of specialists, who are experts in a wide range of therapies. Management options range from nutritional support and medications, to endoscopic or surgical treatment.

Our multidisciplinary team of IBD trained providers, which includes advanced nutrition experts and a dedicated IBD nurse coordinator, collaborate to create tailored treatment plans for each patient based on their disease type and their own individual case. Patients also benefit from our unique education and support program.

We work closely with the team at Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, so patients further benefit from collaborative clinical and research projects, which aim to improve the lives of IBD patients.

What We Treat

The term IBD refers to a group of conditions that involve chronic inflammation of the digestive tract. The two most common types of IBD are:

• Crohn’s disease: inflammation that can affect any part of the digestive tract
• Ulcerative colitis: inflammation that only affects the colon.

Proper diagnosis and assessment of IBD is critical to providing the right treatment, successfully managing the condition, and helping patients improve their quality of life.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

IBS is a common disorder of the gastrointestinal tract that can lead to diarrhea, cramps, bloating and constipation. IBS is not a type of IBD but can cause many similar symptoms. Learn more about them difference between IBS and IBD here.

Celiac disease

Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the small intestine when gluten is eaten. The damage means that the body cannot absorb nutrients properly from our food. The condition causes symptoms including diarrhea, bloating and abdominal pain.

Diagnosis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

An accurate diagnosis is essential to being able to provide the best care for IBD patients. IBD is a complex condition and sometimes a diagnosis can take time. Some conditions may symptomatically mimic IBD, and doctors need to rule out other possible causes of symptoms. Our skilled team of experts specialize in the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease based on individual symptoms, clinical assessment and evaluation of test results.

Our IBD Program offers a variety of specialized diagnostic tests to help us properly assess the condition, 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 that uses a thin, flexible tube with a camera to look inside the colon and the end of the small bowel.
• Flexible sigmoidoscopy: A thin, flexible tube with a camera is used to look inside the rectum and the lower portion of the colon.
• Balloon-assisted enteroscopy: This is a technique that uses a balloon to allow a camera to enter the small bowel and look at areas that cannot be assessed on regular endoscopy or colonoscopy.

During these procedures, tissue samples can be obtained and analyzed in the lab for accurate diagnosis.

Capsule endoscopy: A test that involves swallowing a pill-shaped wireless camera. The camera takes pictures of the inside of the entire digestive tract and can help see 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.

CT scan: An imaging test that produces images of the organs and can detect complications of IBD, such as intestinal blockages.

Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

There are many approaches to treating and managing IBD. These include:

• Medications (pills, injections, infusions or topical treatments)
• Endoscopic procedures
• Surgical procedures, including minimally invasive techniques. Our colorectal surgery team offers specialized surgical procedures for IBD such as pouch reconstructions for certain eligible patients.
• Nutritional evaluation, education and support
• Close monitoring and management of potential condition- or medication-related complications
• Complementary or alternative treatment.