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For more information
on surgical treatment
for your Crohn’s
disease, talk to your
primary care physician.
If you do not have a
primary care physician,
call
334-293-8888
.
SURGERY IS USUALLY
not the first line of
defense for someone with Crohn’s disease. But over
time, it becomes more likely. In fact, up to 75 percent
of people with Crohn’s will have surgery at some point
in their lives. Some people choose it. For others, it’s an
absolute necessity.
Common procedures include:
Strictureplasty.
In this procedure, parts of the colon
that have become too narrow are reshaped by cutting
and restitching the colon without removing any of the
intestines.
Resection.
In this procedure, diseased sections of
the bowel are removed. The healthy ends of the intes-
tines are joined together.
Colectomy.
This removes the colon, and then joins
the small intestine (the ileum) to the rectum. This al-
lows the person to continue to pass stool through the
anus.
Proctocolectomy with ileostomy.
This removes
the colon, the anus and the rectum. Surgeons create
a stoma—a hole about the size of a quarter—in the
abdomen. The end of the ileum is brought through the
stoma. Stool drains out of the stoma into a small plastic
pouch called an ostomy bag, which is emptied several
times a day.
Surgery can relieve symptoms of Crohn’s and
Crohn’s disease
improve quality of life. But it isn’t a cure. The disease often returns
eventually.
Many procedures are now done in a minimally invasive way, with
less pain and risk of infection.
But surgery for Crohn’s is still a serious decision and requires a care-
ful review of options, benefits and risks.
Sources: Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America; National Digestive Diseases Information
Clearinghouse
When
SURGERY
is needed
Crohn’s disease causes inflammation
of the digestive system. It is one
of a group of diseases called
inflammatory bowel disease. Crohn’s
can affect any area from the mouth
to the anus. It often affects the
lower part of the small intestine.
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