“I had to drop out of sports, miss camping trips with friends and vacations with family. I missed so many events and forced myself to be a shut-In, so people would not see or hear my screams of pain.” – Steve Thompson
So many patients, like Steve, speak about the drastic impact their inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has on their everyday quality of life. It’s that impact the team at the world-renowned Zane Cohen Centre for Digestive Diseases tackles each day through a multidisciplinary approach to patient and family-centered care, pioneering clinical procedures and global-reaching research projects. The Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program at Mount Sinai Hospital combines surgical, medical, pathology, radiology, nursing and nutritional IBD expertise under one roof.
IBD, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, is an umbrella term used to describe conditions that result in chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Patients can experience debilitating pain, fatigue and unintentional weight loss, which causes a significant impact on quality of life. One in 150 Canadians have IBD, which leaves Canada with one of the highest prevalence rates in the world. There is no cure, but great strides have been made to manage the symptoms of IBD through medication and surgery.
How We Are Leaders
10,000 Patients
are cared for at the Zane Cohen centre for Digestive Diseases each year
National Referral Centre
for minimally invasive “pouch” surgery
Leading a Global Study
called GEM, which is the only study of its kind and its size globally
Spotlight on IBD
Throughout the month of March, we will be highlighting stories about the world-leading care and research of one of our flagship programs, inflammatory bowel disease. We will share stories like Steve’s, who was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at the age of 20 and who received life-saving care at Mount Sinai Hospital. You will hear from our researchers and front-line colleagues who work each and every day to improve the quality of life for patients living with IBD.
Stay tuned here and across our social media channels throughout the month to follow along, and follow the hashtags #SinaiStories and #SinaiResearch.