What is Crohn's disease?

At The London Clinic we offer the latest treatments for recovery and management of Crohn’s disease.  

One of our specialists will tailor your treatment plan to include lifestyle changes, medication and surgery if you need it. 

We aim to treat you as early as possible to avoid disease progression so you can get back to living life.

At The London Clinic your care team will support you to make any lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking or make changes to what you eat daily. 

Your gastroenterologist will guide you on which medications you need to achieve remission and remain symptom free. 

If you need surgery your gastroenterologist and colorectal surgeon will work as a team to carry out your procedure at our state-of-the-art private site near Harley Street.

By choosing The London Clinic, you’ll get a more compassionate and connected kind of care, from enhanced pre-admission through to aftercare and follow up. 

Contact us today, so you can start your treatment journey and get back to living life. 

What are the symptoms of Crohn’s disease?

Crohn’s disease causes inflammation, ulceration and bleeding along the digestive tract. This can be anywhere between the mouth and rectum. 

The areas most commonly affected are the jejunum and ileum of the small intestine and the caceum of the large intestine.

You can have the condition but show no symptoms for several years, but many people first start showing symptoms in childhood. 

Signs and symptoms can include:

• Abdominal pain
• Bloody diarrhoea 
• Fatigue and weight loss
• Malnutrition
• High temperature
• Nausea
• Mouth ulcers
• Anaemia

Parts of the intestine can scar or narrow forming strictures. They can also fuse together forming fistulas which often need surgery to correct.

Around a third of people who have Crohn’s disease develop ankylosing spondylitis, a type of arthritis that affects your joints.

It’s not clear what causes Crohn’s disease but research suggests it develops due to a combination of environmental and genetic factors. 

How is Crohn’s disease diagnosed?

Your gastroenterologist will diagnose your signs and symptoms by taking a full medical history and performing a physical examination.

You may need to have a blood and stool test to check for infection and inflammatory markers. 

If your gastroenterologist needs to take a tissue sample (biopsy) and look at your intestines more closely they will do this through an endoscopy procedure.  

An endoscope is a very thin flexible tube tipped with a camera. 

Your gastroenterologist places the endoscope into your digestive tract either through the mouth or rectum. There are several types of endoscopy for Crohn’s disease:

• Gastroscopy (to examine your upper digestive tract and small intestine)
• Sigmoidoscopy (to examine the rectum and first part of the large intestine)
• Colonoscopy (to examine the entire large intestine)
• Capsule endoscopy (to examine the middle part of your small intestine)

When is surgery for Crohn’s disease necessary?

As medication and lifestyle management of Crohn’s disease becomes more effective, surgery is becoming less necessary.  

If fistulas, abscesses or strictures develop in the intestines, these can block digestion or waste removal and you may need surgery. 

Similarly, if parts of the intestine become precancerous or cancerous, surgery may be necessary. 

At The London Clinic we pioneer minimally invasive surgery including AI guided keyhole surgery to treat strictures (narrowing) and abscesses for a faster recovery and better outcomes.

Strictureplasty is a type of keyhole surgery to repair strictures without having to remove any of the intestine. Your surgeon can also treat strictures using an endoscopic balloon dilation procedure where they insert a tiny balloon to open the stricture through an endoscope.

Some people need resection surgery which involves removing a portion of the intestine, or a complete removal of the large intestine (colectomy).

You may need surgery if: 

• You develop complications e.g. strictures, fistulas, abscesses or perforations
• You develop precancerous or cancerous changes in the bowel

What are the benefits of Crohn’s disease treatment at The London Clinic?

The treatment we offer will allow you to manage your symptoms more easily and get back to living a normal life sooner.

Early treatment and intervention can reduce flare ups and put the condition into remission for months or years. 

At The London Clinic we aim to give you the best treatment tailored to suit you and your long term recovery.

We offer not just medical support but emotional and lifestyle support to help you on your road to recovery.

How long does it take to recover from Crohn’s disease?

When you start treatment your gastroenterologist will give you medication for any pain and bloody diarrhoea to normalise your movements and stop you feeling sick. 

If your treatment includes immunosuppressants they can take two to three months to work at which point the inflammation will start to reduce and you should start to feel a lot better.

During your treatment your gastroenterologist will see you for regular checks to make sure your treatment is working well.

What are the side effects of Crohn’s disease treatment?

The treatments we offer for Crohn’s disease are the most up to date and are carefully balanced to treat your symptoms as effectively as possible.

Medications can cause side effects but we aim to minimise them as much as possible. Your gastroenterologist will bring you in for regular assessment and blood tests to check how you’re doing.

What can I expect from Crohn’s disease treatment at The London Clinic?

At The London Clinic the gastroenterologists who treat Crohn’s disease are some of the most experienced in the UK. 

They will guide you and make sure you have the right treatment that prevents flare ups and minimises the progression of your condition.

If you need a surgical procedure we have a state-of-the-art surgical suite near Harley Street where your surgeon can carry out your procedure.

We also provide nutrition and physical therapy services to help you with your diet and symptoms such as joint pain.

To make you feel more comfortable while you’re with us we offer extra touches like a concierge service.

You’ll have a dedicated care team to look after you and support you during your recovery.