When patients suffer from abdominal pain and severe diarrhea over time, their doctors may become concerned that these symptoms signal the onset of a chronic ailment like Irritated Bowel Syndrome or, worse, Crohn’s disease. These problems have similar enough symptoms to make them difficult to distinguish. Fortunately, Florida patients have access to a team of medical experts led by Dr. Belizon, who can make an accurate diagnosis and provide minimally invasive treatment options.
Irritated Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a syndrome, not a disease, which affects about 1 in 6 people in the United States. While the condition has many possible causes, usually what happens is that the intestinal muscles begin failing to contract properly or become hypersensitive. IBS can occur after an intestinal infection, and often is triggered by stress. Treatment usually involves rest, dietary change, and avoidance of stressful life situations.
The Florida Minimally Invasive CRS Group of doctors, in southern Florida areas of Palm Beach and Boca Raton, can diagnose IBS based on your symptoms, often without further tests. Doctors may also conduct blood tests or a colonoscopy to help rule out other issues like Crohn’s disease.
Crohn’s disease is an example of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the name given to diseases that involve intestinal swelling. The disease has no known cure, although the symptoms are treatable. The symptoms of Crohn’s disease are quite similar to those of IBS—abdominal pain and diarrhea are most common—which often makes Crohn’s disease difficult to diagnose.
No one is completely sure what causes Crohn’s, but the prevailing theory is that the disease is autoimmune; that is, an illness caused when the body’s immune system begins mistakenly attacking healthy body tissues. Crohn’s disease also may have a hereditary component—about 20% of people diagnosed with Crohn’s have a relative suffering from some type of IBD. Crohn’s disease can be detected by running a variety of tests including blood tests, X-rays, colonoscopy, or endoscopy of the upper intestine.
Treatment for Crohn’s disease generally begins with medication. Although the condition can’t be cured, the symptoms can be controlled. Crohn’s disease can cause intestinal narrowing or blockage; sometimes fistulas (abnormal passages between organs) may develop. In these cases surgery is sometimes recommended.
If you learn that you need surgery for Crohn’s disease, you may be a candidate for minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery using the da Vinci® Surgical System. This system uses the most advanced technology to conduct colon surgery through just a few tiny incisions. Dr. Belizon, and the Minimally Invasive CRS team of Doctors use this state-of-the-art surgical platform to overcome the challenges of traditional open surgery and dramatically reduce the patient’s recovery time. If you’ve been told that you need colon surgery, it is recommended that you consult these Florida medical experts to examine your options. You can contact them today at 877.493.5545 to schedule an appointment.
