Medical Therapy for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Surgeons often care for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who are receiving therapies that can include 5-ASA compounds, steroids, immunomodulators, and biologics. The goal of these agents is to suppress intestinal inflammation, ultimately improving the quality of life in patients afflicted with IBD. Traditionally, an acceptable therapeutic endpoint was the resolution of symptoms, defined as clinical remission. However, as a result of recent advances in therapy, clinicians can now strive to achieve more stringent endpoints, such as endoscopic or histologic remission. Many different classes of agents can be used, individually or in combination, to achieve mucosal healing.