About the Center
We engage in a holistic approach to IBD care and use the most advanced technology, including bedside intestinal ultrasound, to provide point-of-care testing for our patients. UW GI faculty also offer an annual regional conference to educate the community and GI providers about IBD management.
Together, our integrated team meets and reviews individual patient cases in an effort to provide personalized, multi-disciplinary care for every patient. Our mission is to provide the highest quality of care to our IBD patients while improving their quality of life and advancing our understanding of IBD thru collaborative research projects.
Our care team includes gastroenterologists, colon and rectal surgeons, ostomy nurses, pharmacists, nutritionists, radiologists, pathologists, dermatologists, and rheumatologists, and offers a breadth of comprehensive care services for patients with IBD. For patient convenience, care is provided at multiple UW locations including:
- Digestive Health Center at UW Medical Center - Montlake
- General Surgery Clinic at UW Medical Center - Montlake
- Gastroenterology Clinic at Harborview Medical Center
- Digestive Health Clinic at UW Medical Center - Northwest
- Surgical Services at UW Medical Center - Northwest
- Digestive Health Clinic at Eastside Specialty Center
IBD Research
Research in IBD spans both clinical trials for the discovery of new therapeutics and basic/translational science. Most recently, UW GI investigators have led and contributed to studies investigating the role of biologics in IBD management and are developing methodologies to enhance the holistic care of patients in our Integrative IBD practice, including using nutrition as therapy.
IBD GI SPECIALISTS
Our gastroenterology team provides evidence-based medical care that is individualized to the unique needs of each patient. We offer advanced, cutting-edge medical treatments for all patients ranging from those newly diagnosed to those who have failed multiple treatments. From a procedural standpoint, our IBD gastroenterologists have advanced training in colonoscopy, Crohn’s stricture balloon dilation, and chromo-endoscopy. Our gastroenterologists also have a robust research program, including trials that allow patients access to medications not otherwise available.
COLORECTAL SURGICAL TEAM
Our colorectal surgeons are board-certified colon and rectal surgeons with expertise in the surgical management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Our surgeons perform over 1500 procedures annually with a focus on minimally invasive techniques including laparoscopic and robotic techniques as well as transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS). Our surgical care extends beyond the operating room and follows an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) program providing comprehensive care before, during, and after surgery with an integrated team of surgeons, nurses, dieticians, as well as ostomy and wound care teams. In addition to our clinical focus, surgical research is ongoing looking at quality of life and disparities in access amongst our surgical patients.
About IBD
The term inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) encompasses a spectrum of inflammatory diseases that includes both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
These diseases stem from an overly active immune system that attacks and damages the intestine.
Approximately 1.4 million people in North America are affected by IBD.
The cause of these diseases is not known, but both genetic and environmental factors are implicated.
Many patients with IBD have a family member who is also affected by the disease. However, the majority of patients do not have a family history of IBD.
Although the disease can have onset at any age, patients typically develop symptoms in their teenage or early adulthood.
PATIENT RESOURCES
- Crohn's & Colitis Foundation (CCF)
- Ostomy Association of America
- American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS)
MAKE AN APPOINTMENT
Gastroenterology Team:
Digestive Health Clinic at UW Medical Center Montlake
Call: 206-520-5000
Colorectal Surgery Team:
General Surgery Clinic at UW Medical Center Montlake
Call: 206-598-4477
Surgical Services and Hernia Center at UW Medicine Northwest
Call: 206-668-1070