What symptoms does Crohns disease cause?
Patients with Crohn’s disease in the small or large bowel develop symptoms such as abdominal pain (often crampy), diarrhoea and the passage of blood with bowel actions. It is often thought to be a bowel infection, but does not get better and no bacteria are found in the faeces. If Crohn’s disease is present in the anal area it can present as abscesses that keep coming back despite surgery or as fistulae that can be difficult to fix (see section on anal fistulae). Does Crohn’s disease always require surgery? No. Crohn’s disease is always treated with medicines before consideration of surgery. Surgical treatment is reserved for patients who do not respond to medicines and those who have severe or urgent complications of the disease, such as bowel obstruction, bowel perforation and bleeding. What sort of surgery may be required? Small bowel Crohn’s disease; When surgery is required for small bowel Crohn’s disease it is usually because of bowel obstruction. The operation most often involve
