Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program

The Yale Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program (YIBDP) was formed specifically to answer the challenges faced by patients with the complex, lifelong intestinal diseases of Crohn's and ulcerative colitis.

One key to effective disease management is coordinated care among specially trained physicians in a variety of specialties, including gastrointestinal (GI) medicine, pathology, and radiology colorectal surgery interventional radiology and pediatric gastroenterology and GI surgery. When the patient is female and planning a pregnancy, YIBDP collaborates closely with fertility and high-risk obstetric specialists.

Yale is the only organization in Connecticut that offers gastroenterology fellowships in medicine, surgery, and pathology. This excellence in medical education and training helps YIBDP offer the highest level of patient care.

Accurately diagnosing IBD is a multi-step process involving endoscopic procedures, diagnostic imaging, pathology review, and surgery. The gastrointestinal pathology program at Yale is the only subspecialty pathology program in Connecticut, offering true diagnostic expertise in the pathologic diagnosis of digestive diseases.

Treatment of ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease usually begins with medical therapy. While surgery can be a primary therapy for certain symptoms of IBD, it is usually reserved for when medical and interventional therapy is not working. At Yale, the goal of GI surgery is to restore function, using bowel-conserving surgery as the first approach. Some patients may be candidates for a minimally invasive version of the open-surgery procedure.

Pediatric specialists and caregivers provide the same care and services that adults receive - but in a pediatric setting at the Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital (YNHCH). YNHCH provides advanced laparoscopic surgical capabilities for children. As the child becomes older, Yale Medical Center is uniquely positioned to transition the patient to the adult program for continued lifelong care.

Physicians meet weekly to discuss each patient's care and related diagnostic, medical, and surgical issues. The YIBDP team also invites community physicians to monthly case conferences so that they may stay informed.

	Burrell, Morton I, MD	Professor of Diagnostic Radiology; Chief, Gastrointestinal Radiology	(203) 688-2433 Appts (203) 785-4328 Fax
	Cho, Judy H, MD	Henry J. and Joan W. Binder Professor of Medicine (Digestive Diseases) and Professor of Genetics and of Pediatrics (Gastroenterology); Director, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center	(203) 785-4138 Appts (203) 785-7273 Fax
	Cornfeld, Daniel, MD	Associate Professor of Diagnostic Radiology	(203) 688-2433 Appts (203) 688-9258 Fax
	Israel, Gary M, MD	Professor of Diagnostic Radiology and of Surgery (Urology); Chief, Body Computed Tomography (CT)	(203) 688-2433 Appts (203) 737-1688 Fax
	Longo, Walter E, MD, MBA, FACS, FASCRS	Professor of Surgery (Gastrointestinal) and of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences; Section Chief; Director, Colon and Rectal Surgery	(203) 785-2616 Appts (203) 785-2615 Fax
	Oikonomou, Ioannis, MD	Assistant Professor of Medicine (Digestive Diseases); Co-Medical Director, Temple Endoscopy Center; Medical Director, Temple Infusion Center	(203) 785-4138 Appts (203) 737-1345 Fax
	Pashankar, Dinesh S, MD	Associate Professor of Pediatrics (Gastroenterology); Director, Fellowship Program; Director, Pediatric IBD program	(203) 785-4081 Appts (203) 737-1384 Fax
	Proctor, Deborah Denise, MD	Professor of Medicine (Digestive Diseases); Medical Director, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program	(203) 785-4138 Appts (203) 737-1345 Fax
	Reddy, Vikram, MD, PhD	Assistant Professor of Surgery (Gastrointestinal)	(203) 785-2616 Appts (203) 785-2615 Fax
	Robert, Marie E, MD	Professor of Pathology and of Medicine; Associate Director, Fellowship in Gastrointestinal Pathology

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