Being diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), whether Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, raises many questions. As the first step in taking control of your health, learn more about IBD and examine the treatment options available to you at Cleveland Clinic.

From the time IBD is diagnosed, patients require lifelong care. That's why treatment at Cleveland Clinic is advantageous. It's one of the few medical centers in the country uniquely able to provide seamless care for IBD patients of all ages throughout their life.

To help you decide the best approach to take against IBD, Cleveland Clinic's world-renowned specialists have produced a comprehensive treatment guide. This free download provides the facts you need to make an informed decision when considering treatment at any age. The guide includes:

• An overview of IBD treatment options
• The difference between Crohn's disease and
  ulcerative colitis
• What you should know about surgery
• The role of nutrition and lifestyle in IBD
• The benefits of choosing Cleveland Clinic care
  for children and adults
• Patient services tailored to your needs

Although there is no one solution for treating IBD, there are many options. Cleveland Clinic physicians help patients find the most effective treatments that produce remission and prevent flareups, allowing them to enjoy best quality of life possible. Sometimes this means being able to offer patients a treatment option after they and their physicians elsewhere had given up hope.

Cleveland Clinic receives increasing worldwide referrals, particularly for complex IBD cases, access to clinical trials or for surgical expertise that consistently reports excellent outcomes.

• Cleveland Clinic's Digestive Disease Institute has performed more operations for Crohn's disease and J pouch procedures than any other institution and has been ranked No. 2 in the country for gastroenterology services by U.S.News & World Report since 2003
• Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital staff of 12 pediatric gastroenterologists makes it one of the largest pediatric IBD programs in the country, treating more children and adolescents with IBD every year than many other programs.

"Before I'd gone into surgery, the doctor told me my life was going to be completely different, after I got out and recovered - he was definitely right."

Kelly Adrine, Cleveland Clinic IBD patient
To read Kelly's full story, please download our treatment guide.