About UMD Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center
United Medical Doctors Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Center is committed to providing patients suffering from Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis unparalleled specialty care in the diagnosis, treatment and management of these debilitating conditions.
Our Mission
United Medical Doctors IBD Center is dedicated to offering advanced medical and surgical therapies for patients suffering from inflammatory bowel diseases, and is proudly paving the way for advancements in the IBD landscape through leading clinical research trials. Unparalleled in the level of care and expertise, our skilled multi-disciplinary team sets the bar for effective and thorough care at our clinics throughout Southern California.
Conditions Treated
- Crohn’s Disease, which is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.
- Ulcerative Colitis, which is a chronic disease of the large intestine, in which the lining of the colon becomes inflamed and develops tiny open sores, or ulcers. This condition is the result of your immune system’s overactive response.
What Sets Our IBD Center Apart
We’re proud to be one of Southern California’s most robust and comprehensive integrated centers of excellence for Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
About Crohn's Disease
Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract.
-Nearly 1 in 100 Americans are diagnosed with IBD. Men and women are equally likely to be affected by Crohn’s disease.
-The disease can occur at any age, but Crohn’s disease is most often diagnosed in adolescents and adults between the ages of 20 and 30.
-Studies have shown that between 1.5 percent and 28 percent of people with IBD have a first-degree relative, such as a parent, child, or sibling, who also has one of the diseases.
-Even though there is genetic component associated with increased risk of IBD, it is impossible to predict who may get Crohn’s disease based on family history.
-Crohn’s disease can affect people from all ethnic backgrounds. The disease is more common in Caucasians, though the rates of Crohn’s disease have increased among Hispanics and Asians in recent years.
-Can affect any part of the GI tract from the mouth to the anus, but most commonly affects the end of the small bowel (ileum) and the beginning of the colon
-Can affect the entire thickness of the bowel wall
-Inflammation of the intestine can “skip,” or leave normal areas in between patches of diseased intestine
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis share similar symptoms and they are both types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but they are not the same illness and they affect different areas of the GI tract.
Crohn’s disease
-Can affect any part of the GI tract from the mouth to the anus
-Can affect the entire thickness of the bowel wall
Ulcerative colitis
-Only the colon and rectum (also known as the large intestine) are affected
-Affects the inner-most lining of the large intestine
Types of Crohn's Disease
This is the most common form of Crohn’s disease. It affects the end of the small intestine, known as the terminal ileum, and the large intestine, also called the colon.
Symptoms may include:
-Diarrhea and cramping
-Pain in the middle or lower right part of the abdomen
-Significant weight loss
This type of Crohn’s affects only the ileum.
Symptoms may include:
-Same as ileocolitis
-In severe cases, complications may include fistulas or inflammatory abscess in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen
This type affects the stomach and the beginning of the small intestine, called the duodenum.
Symptoms may include:
-Nausea
-Vomiting
-Loss of appetite
-Weight loss
This type is characterized by patchy areas of inflammation in the upper half of the small intestine, called the jejunum.
Symptoms may include:
-Mild to intense abdominal pain and cramps following meals
-Diarrhea
-Fistulas may form in severe cases or after prolonged periods of inflammation
This type affects only the colon, also known as the large intestine.
Symptoms may include:
-Diarrhea
-Rectal bleeding
-Disease around the anus, including abscess, fistulas and ulcers
-Skin lesions and joint pains are more common in this form of Crohn’s than in others
About Ulcerative Colitis
Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the large intestine, also called the colon, that affects the lining of the colon and causes small sores, or ulcers, to form.
Those ulcers produce pus and mucous, which cause abdominal pain and the need to frequently empty your colon.
Ulcerative colitis is the result of several factors that are not yet well understood. Abnormal immune response, genetics, microbiome, and environmental factors all contribute to ulcerative colitis.
Research suggests that ulcerative colitis could be triggered by an interaction between a virus or bacterial infection in the colon and the body’s immune response. Typically, the cells and proteins that make up your immune system protect you from infection.
A normal immune response would cause temporary inflammation to combat an illness or infection. The inflammation would then go away once you are healthy and free of the illness.
In ulcerative colitis patients, the inflammation persists long after the immune system should have finished its job. The body continues to send white blood cells into the lining of the intestines, where they produce chronic inflammation and ulcers.
Ulcerative colitis can occur at any age, though most people are diagnosed in their mid-30s.
Men and women are equally likely to be affected, but older men are more likely to be diagnosed than older women.
The risk of developing ulcerative colitis is between 1.6 percent and 30 percent if you have a first-degree relative with the disease.1-3
It is not possible to confidently predict which, if any, family members will develop ulcerative colitis, even though there is an increased risk of IBD based on family history.
Ulcerative colitis can affect people of any racial or ethnic group.
Diagnosing Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Our team employs a multi-disciplinary approach to diagnosing Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. We proudly offer these services in-house at our state-of-the-art outpatient surgery centers, United Surgery Centers, and imaging centers throughout Southern California.
IBD Treatment Options
Our IBD Center Team
Seyedehsan “Ehsan” Navabi, MD
Matthew Schultzel, DO
Our Locations
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