IBD Medical Management

Treating Inflammatory Bowel Disease without Surgery

At Stanford Health Care, many of our inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients feel better after using a personalized combination of medications to improve their symptoms. This helps many of them avoid surgery.

As a referral center, we care for IBD patients from all over the country. Our experience in treating hundreds of patients every year helps us develop innovative medical management programs. Even if medications have failed to relieve your symptoms in the past, our experts can suggest new solutions, such as using different doses and combinations, which can help you get relief.

Using science and research to advance IBD care, we specialize in offering novel medication therapies. Our active participation in clinical trials helps us stay up-to-date on all new therapies. We also offer standard therapies and newly approved treatments.

Comprehensive IBD care at Stanford Health Care

Part of what makes IBD medical management at Stanford Health Care unique is our commitment and expertise in preventing IBD complications. Based on years of experience and our own research studies, we address the unique health risks that IBD patients face and coordinate additional care with other Stanford Health Care specialists when necessary.

This can help you:

• Assess your cancer risks, including skin cancer and lymphoma
• Measure bone density to assess your risk for osteopenia and osteoporosis after long-term steroid use
• Keep you safe from additional illness through routine vaccinations
• Check for cervical dysplasia (an early sign of cervical cancer) in women with a compromised immune system
• Screen for eye complications, such as painful inflammation (uveitis) and abnormalities in your cornea (keratopathy)

It’s important to know that no single medication treats all the symptoms of IBD. We pride ourselves in delivering compassionate care that meets your unique needs and preferences.

Factors we consider in determining the best medications for your condition include:

• Your experience with prior IBD medications
• The severity of your symptoms
• The location of disease and inflammation within your intestines
• Your tolerance for side effects with certain medications

As part of our comprehensive approach to care, we always consider your opinions and preferences. Paying careful attention to your symptoms and quality of life, we catch potentially harmful side effects and make changes early on when we notice a therapy isn’t working.