Specialties
Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are chronic conditions including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease that affect about 3 million U.S. adults. IBD is a complex disease that requires the expertise of a team of specialists. The UC Davis Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center provides comprehensive and personalized care with the goal of improving quality of life. Our center is committed to patient care, education of patients and doctors, and research. Our specialists lead innovative research to better understand IBD and study new medications to provide you with leading-edge therapy.
Our IBD team of experts include gastroenterologists, colorectal surgeons, radiologists, pathologists, dieticians, mental health providers, and ostomy nurses. Our team meets regularly to develop comprehensive and individualized treatment plans. We strive to maximize the quality of life of our patients. Patient participation in the decision-making process is crucial in the development of a therapy plan that addresses the unique needs of each of our patients.
Our team of specialists strive to maximize the quality of life of our patients. Below you'll find an overview of both Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, including a brief description of the disease and our approach to treating it. Then, you'll find signs and symptoms to both Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, as well as how we work to diagnose and determine treatment.
Signs and Symptoms
Common:
- Abdominal (belly) cramping or pain
- Loose, watery, or frequent bowel movements (diarrhea)
- Rectal bleeding or blood in the stool
- Fever
- Weight loss
- Decreased appetite
- Fatigue or low energy
- Anemia
Less common:
- Constipation or inability to move bowels
- Joint or back pains
- Skin problems or rash
- Painful, red eye (inflammation of the eye)
- Mouth sores or ulcers
- Liver disease
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis is based on a combination of medical history, physical exam, laboratory tests, imaging studies, and endoscopy. At UC Davis, we offer a comprehensive evaluation utilizing the latest advanced diagnostic techniques such as:
- Blood tests, to predict how the body will metabolize medication for a personalized approach
- CT enterography, a type of advanced CT scan which visualizes the intestines with high resolution
- MRI enterography, a novel imaging test that visualizes the small intestines without radiation
- MRI pelvis, an advanced MRI imaging test used to visualize fistulas and abscesses near the anus related to Crohn’s disease
- Chromoendoscopy, an advanced colonoscopy that utilizes techniques for better detection of pre-cancerous changes (dysplasia)
- Capsule endoscopy, a non-invasive test where a pill camera is swallowed and takes pictures of the small intestines which are evaluated by experts; the capsule is passed naturally
Treatment
We strive to develop a partnership with each patient to create a treatment plan that incorporates patient input and physician expertise with a goal to improve quality of life. We manage inflammatory bowel disease with multiple expert providers including gastroenterologists, colorectal surgeons, dieticians, mental health providers, and pharmacists.
Refer A Patient:
For urgent referrals, call 800-482-3284, option #3
For non-urgent referrals, submit online or by fax (Electronic Referral)
Clinic Location:
Midtown Ambulatory Care Center
3160 Folsom Blvd, Suite 3500
Sacramento, CA 95816
New patient referrals: 1-800-482-3284
Existing patient appointments: 916-734-8616
Existing patient medication refill fax: 916-734-0804