Tokyo Women's Medical University

School of Medicine

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Surgery

Overview

The Department of Surgery, Institute of Gastroenterology, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, has a long history. It was established in 1965 with the goals of providing patient-centered medical care, training excellent clinicians, and conducting clinically relevant medical research. Since its establishment, it has offered comprehensive, cutting-edge medical care that transcends the barriers between gastrointestinal departments. Furthermore, it has aimed to nurture warm-hearted and highly skilled clinicians. At the Department of Surgery, Institute of Gastroenterology, treatment is offered in collaboration with three other departments¬—upper gastrointestinal surgery, colorectal surgery, and hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery—which also collaborate to provide education. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) requires continuous treatment with multidisciplinary therapy involving a group of surgeons, pediatricians, and internal medicine specialists. Despite the availability of several medication-based treatment options, a certain percentage of patients still require surgery. Patients may endure surgery to comfortably attend school or participate in society without needing to be hospitalized repeatedly when medication alone is insufficient to treat the condition. Recently, less invasive laparoscopic surgery has been proactively incorporated into medical treatment, making it possible to perform the same conventional surgery with a smaller wound site. Thus, we are now in an age in which surgery is not performed due to failed pharmacotherapy but in combination with pharmacotherapy based on the needs of each individual patient.

Education Details

At the Department of Surgery, Institute of Gastroenterology, three other departments (upper gastrointestinal surgery, colorectal surgery, and hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery) collaborate to provide education.
Research is conducted based on the five following policies:
1. Has the ability to establish a study design and discuss the feasibility and limitations of said design　
2. Has the ability to acquire cutting-edge knowledge and critically evaluate a manuscript　
3. Has the knowledge and skills required to perform research
4. Has the ability to guide young researchers
5. Has a high level of ethics and is enthusiastic about contributing to medical education and research
The main research topics are as follows:
1. Analysis of triggers and risks for postoperative complications of ulcerative colitis
2. Clinicopathological investigation of risk factors for repeat surgery for Crohn’s disease
3. Investigation of the validity of minimally invasive surgery for IBD
4. Risk factors and prognosis improvement for colitis-associated cancer
5. Endoscopic severity diagnosis for ulcerative colitis
6. Introduction of robotic surgery for IBD surgery
＜Undergraduate Education>
Students gain knowledge, skills, patient care, etc. as members of a medical team under the supervision and guidance of a preceptor, in addition to attending lectures and tutorials.
*Level of adequacy of practical training for prerequisite subjects (2019): No. 1 of six surgical prerequisite subjects, no. 2 of 34 subjects across all medical departments.

Comments from students
• There were numerous educational workshops, so I learned a lot.
• The teachers were all very kind and passionate about teaching, making it fun for us.
• When I entered the operating field for surgery, I had the opportunity to experience lots of techniques.
These are a few of many comments.

＜Postgraduate Education>
In postgraduate education, in addition to experiments and practical training, students can gain a comprehensive overview of IBD through the following three curricula:
1. General introduction to surgery for IBD
2. Separated operations and treatment strategies for ulcerative colitis
3. Intestinal canal preservation and short bowel syndrome in Crohn’s disease

Junior resident curriculum
Senior resident curriculum → Visit the website of Department of Surgery, Institute of Gastroenterology

Faculty

Michio Itabashi
Shimpei Ogawa

Related links

Research Achievements Database

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