IBD Treatment (Crohn's Disease & Ulcerative Colitis)
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, long-term conditions in which the bowel becomes inflamed. Treatment aims to control inflammation, bring on (induce) and then maintain remission, and monitor the bowel over time. It uses medicines such as aminosalicylates, steroids for flares, immunomodulators and biologic therapies, with surgery reserved for complications or disease not controlled by medicines.
Medically reviewed by the Florence Healthcare medical team · Last reviewed June 2026
Overview
IBD is a long-term condition, so treatment is planned over years rather than as a single course. The first goal is to calm active inflammation and settle a flare, and the second is to keep the disease in remission so symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, bleeding, fatigue and weight loss stay away. The right combination of medicines depends on whether you have Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, where and how severely the bowel is affected, and how you respond.
Medical options are used in a stepwise way and tailored to you. Aminosalicylates can help in some cases of ulcerative colitis; steroids are used to bring a flare under control but are not intended for long-term use because of their side effects; immunomodulators and biologic therapies help maintain remission and reduce reliance on steroids. Treatment is guided by symptoms together with blood tests, stool markers and colonoscopy, so the bowel is monitored and treatment adjusted over time. Surgery is not the first step and is reserved for complications or disease that medicines do not control.
Care is multidisciplinary, involving gastroenterologists, specialist nurses, dietitians and, when needed, surgeons. International patients are supported by a coordinator, and our specialists can review your history, scans and prior reports remotely before you travel. You receive a written plan and a transparent, itemized cost estimate before arrival, and because IBD needs ongoing care, we explain how monitoring and follow-up can continue with your doctor after you return home.
Who is a candidate?
- People diagnosed with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis who need treatment to control inflammation
- Those having a flare who need treatment to settle symptoms and bring on remission
- Patients in remission who need ongoing (maintenance) treatment to stay well and reduce flares
- People whose current treatment is not working well or who are relying on repeated courses of steroids
- Those who may benefit from a specialist review of their diagnosis, treatment plan and monitoring
What happens
- 1
Assessment
A gastroenterologist reviews your history, examines you and confirms the diagnosis and its extent using blood tests, stool markers, imaging and colonoscopy with biopsies. This shows whether the disease is active and how severe it is.
- 2
Inducing remission
For active disease or a flare, treatment is started to bring the inflammation under control, which may include steroids and, depending on the case, other medicines. The aim is to settle symptoms and induce remission.
- 3
Maintaining remission
Once the flare settles, longer-term treatment such as aminosalicylates in ulcerative colitis, immunomodulators or biologic therapies is used to keep the disease in remission and reduce reliance on steroids, tailored to how you respond.
- 4
Monitoring & follow-up
You have regular reviews with blood and stool tests and periodic colonoscopy to monitor the bowel and adjust treatment. Dietitian and nursing support is available, and international patients receive a plan for continuing follow-up after they return home. Surgery is considered only for complications or disease not controlled by medicines.
Benefits
- A treatment plan tailored to whether you have Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis and how it affects you
- Aims to both settle flares and keep the disease in long-term remission
- Access to a range of medicines, including immunomodulators and biologic therapies, to reduce reliance on steroids
- Regular monitoring with tests and colonoscopy so treatment is adjusted as your disease changes
- Multidisciplinary care with gastroenterologists, specialist nurses, dietitians and surgeons when needed
Risks & considerations
- Medicines used for IBD can have side effects; steroids in particular are limited to short-term use because of theirs
- Immunomodulators and biologic therapies can increase the risk of infection and need regular blood-test monitoring
- Not everyone responds to a given medicine, and treatment may need to be changed over time
- Flares can still occur despite treatment, and the disease is controlled rather than cured
- IBD can lead to complications and, over the long term, an increased risk of bowel cancer, which is why ongoing monitoring is important
Conditions this treats
Where it is performed
This treatment is delivered by our Gastroenterology Department.
Learn more before you decide
Provider-reviewed guides on the related conditions, symptoms and tests in our Health Library.
IBD Treatment (Crohn's Disease & Ulcerative Colitis) — frequently asked questions
Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are long-term conditions that are controlled rather than cured. The aim of treatment is to settle inflammation, bring on remission and then keep you in remission so symptoms stay away. Many people live well with IBD, but it needs ongoing treatment and monitoring rather than a single course.
Surgery is not the first step. Treatment is medical, and surgery is reserved for complications or for disease that medicines do not control. If it is ever considered, a gastroenterologist and surgeon discuss it with you together as part of your wider care, so the decision is shared and based on your situation.
IBD can change over time, and inflammation is not always obvious from symptoms alone. Regular reviews with blood and stool tests and periodic colonoscopy let the team see how active the disease is, check that treatment is working, and adjust it. Monitoring also helps watch for complications and the longer-term risk of bowel cancer.
IBD care is ongoing rather than a single visit, so your coordinator confirms the timeline for your assessment and any treatment. We provide a transparent, itemized estimate after reviewing your case and do not quote fixed prices online, because each plan is individual; we also explain how follow-up can continue with your own doctor after you return home.
Related treatments
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