About Crohn's Disease

University Hospitals digestive health specialists have significant experience in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are types of IBD where redness and swelling or inflammation exists, as well as sores or ulcers along your digestive tract.

Our skilled team offers a wide variety of novel therapies for all stages of Crohn’s disease. Patients have direct access to these specialty providers who have the experience and expertise in treating acute and long-term inflammatory bowel disease treatment and management.

Multidisciplinary Approach to Managing Crohn’s Disease and UC

Working together as a multidisciplinary team, our highly-trained team of specialists determine the diagnosis and treatment plan, including:

• Colorectal surgeons
• Gastroenterologists
• Gastrointestinal pathologists
• Nurse practitioners who specialize in Crohn’s disease
• Radiologists

Crohn’s disease affects many areas of your health. Our team works closely with rheumatologists, dermatologists and nutritionists, creating a group of experts that diagnose and manage all aspects of Crohn’s disease. Our services include:

• Active clinical investigation into the causes and treatments of Crohn's disease, including access to participation in the latest clinical trials.
• Advanced endoscopic and non-endoscopic imaging techniques to more accurately assess disease location and severity.
• Minimally invasive surgical interventions to provide temporary or long-term disease management.
• State-of-the-art therapy, including advanced immunomodulator and biologic therapies, to both control Crohn’s disease and prevent complications. These advanced therapies work by controlling inflammation by decreasing your body’s immune response and targeting specific proteins identified with inflammation.

Innovative Crohn’s Disease and UC Treatments

People who come to University Hospitals for the diagnosis and treatment of Crohn’s disease have access to a variety of superior medical therapies. New medications and treatments developed through research and clinical trials are more readily available to our patients. Our physicians use a combination of medications, diet, nutritional supplements, IV or intravenous feeding and/or surgery to treat and manage Crohn’s disease.

Infusion services to treat Crohn’s disease are available at UH Specialty Clinic Infusion Center in Warrensville Heights.

Learn More about Crohn’s Disease and UC Risk Factors

While disease may occur at any age, it most often affects people ages 15 to 35 years old. It affects men and women equally. Risk factors for Crohn’s include:

• Being of Eastern European background, especially Jewish people of Eastern European descent
• Having a family history of Crohn’s disease - father, mother, brother, sister or child
• Having fair skin
• Living in a developed country, in a city, or in a northern climate
• Smoking

In addition, if your colon is affected by inflammatory bowel disease, you will need colonoscopy at various intervals because of an increased risk of colon cancer.