Surgery for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
If dietary and lifestyle changes and medications are not enough to control the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis), surgery may be necessary. Whenever possible, the colorectal surgeons at NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester use minimally invasive laparoscopy or robotic surgery.
IBD Resection
If you have IBD that affects only a small area of your intestine, your surgeon may remove the diseased tissue only.
Strictureplasty
Our surgeons treat short areas of Crohn’s disease and narrowing caused by scar tissue using a bowel-sparing procedure called strictureplasty, opening the narrowing in a way that restores the flow of contents through the intestine and allows nutrients to be absorbed. A side-to-side “isoperistaltic strictureplasty” may be needed to open multiple narrowings to preserve bowel. A NewYork-Presbyterian surgeon developed this innovative surgical technique to alleviate Crohn’s disease symptoms while preserving as much intestine as possible.
Ileostomy
Your surgeon disconnects the end of the small intestine from the large intestine and then uses it to create an opening, or stoma, on the surface of your abdomen, through which waste is emptied into a bag. You’ll receive support and education from ostomy nurses specially trained in the care of people who need to wear an ostomy bag.
Reconstructive J-Pouch Surgery
During the ileoanal pouch procedure (ileoanal anastomosis or “J-pouch”), the surgeon creates an internal pouch from part of your small intestine to provide a storage place for stool in the absence of the large intestine, avoiding the need for an ostomy bag.