Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, conditions known collectively as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), are complex, painful and difficult-to-diagnose illnesses that affect an estimated 1.4 million Americans. UC Irvine Healthcare’s Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program offers these patients state-of-the-science diagnosis and leading-edge medical and surgical therapies. They are delivered by our multidisciplinary team of gastroenterologists, gastroenterologists, internists, radiologists, pathologists, colorectal surgeons and clinical social workers.

Our IBD team members work closely together to ensure a seamless, humanistic approach to treating patients with these diseases and related conditions that can result, such as pouchitis and colorectal cancer. Our surgeons are highly skilled in minimally invasive laparoscopic techniques.

We are also one of the few clinical facilities in the area to use computed tomographic (CT) enterograpy, which is fast becoming the first-line modality for investigating suspected inflammatory bowel disease. Unlike routine CT scans, which are useful in detecting certain complications of Crohn’s disease, CT enterography can reveal inflammation and thickening in the small bowel walls as well as other changes that are associated with the disease.

IBD team members are highly sensitive to the psychosocial effects of these chronic diseases; we address the emotional and psychological needs of patients and their families, providing education about the illness as well as linking them with support groups that can offer help in coping with IBD. Our goal is to provide compassionate care for adult and young-adult patients, to restore function and improve quality of life.

We offer patients two convenient locations to consult with board-certified physicians and receive individualized attention: the H.H. Chao Comprehensive Disease Center in Orange and Gottschalk Medical Plaza in Irvine.