Crohn's disease treatment in Turkey: options, length of stay & costs

How Crohn's disease shows up: recognizing key warning signs

Crohn's disease affects each person differently. Some patients have mild discomfort, others have severe flare-ups that disrupt daily life. Recognizing the signs early helps you seek appropriate medical care.

Seek urgent care for high fever, severe abdominal pain, repeated vomiting, inability to pass gas or stool, or heavy bleeding.

Turquie Santé can direct you to gastroenterology specialists for a full assessment. Send us your recent tests for a first medical opinion.

Why Crohn's develops: genetic, immune, and environmental roots

The exact cause remains unknown. Research points to several overlapping factors that can trigger the disease or worsen inflammation:

1. Genetic predisposition: having a close relative with Crohn's disease raises the risk several-fold, siblings being the most at risk, although most patients have no family history. The NOD2 gene is one of those involved.
2. Immune system overreaction: the immune system reacts excessively to normally harmless elements, including gut bacteria, causing persistent inflammation that can damage the bowel wall.
3. Smoking: the main recognized aggravating factor. Stress and a Western-style diet rich in ultra-processed foods are suspected to play a role, but the link is still being studied. Urban, industrialized settings are associated with higher prevalence, though causation remains debated.
4. Gut microbiome: an imbalance of gut bacteria may promote inflammation. This is an active area of research.

Some medicines, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen and similar),can trigger a flare.

Understanding the factors that affect your disease helps your gastroenterologist personalize treatment. Send us your test results and Turquie Santé can direct you to an IBD center.

Confirming Crohn's: the diagnostic pathway before treatment begins

An accurate diagnosis is the first step because Crohn's disease can look like other bowel conditions. In Turkey, specialized IBD centers follow international diagnostic guidelines, combining blood and stool tests, endoscopy and imaging.

Medical history and physical assessment

The first step is a consultation with an IBD gastroenterologist. The conversation covers:

• When symptoms started, how often they occur, what makes them worse or better.
• Family medical background, Crohn's or other autoimmune conditions.
• Lifestyle: diet, smoking, stress.
• A physical examination, including abdominal palpation.

Laboratory tests

• Full blood count, to detect anemia.
• Inflammation markers: C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate.
• Liver and kidney tests.
• Iron, vitamin B12 and vitamin D levels, often low because of malabsorption.
• Stool tests to exclude infection; fecal calprotectin measures bowel inflammation.

These markers guide the work-up but do not confirm the diagnosis on their own: they can be normal despite active disease, or raised for another reason.

Endoscopy

Ileocolonoscopy with biopsies is the reference test: it shows the lesions directly and allows tissue samples to be examined, which helps distinguish Crohn's disease from ulcerative colitis or infection. Your specialist may add:

• Upper endoscopy, if the upper digestive tract may be involved.
• Video capsule endoscopy, to see the small intestine. It is not used when a stricture is suspected, because the capsule can get stuck.

Imaging

To see how far the inflammation extends and whether there are fistulas, abscesses or strictures:

• MR enterography (MRI of the small bowel).
• CT enterography, which uses radiation.
• Abdominal ultrasound, to assess bowel wall thickening and fluid collections.

Team review

Once the results are available, gastroenterologists, radiologists, surgeons and dietitians can review them together and propose a treatment plan. Waiting times depend on the availability of the teams and are given with your quote.

Managing Crohn's: from medication to surgery in Turkey

Treatment depends on the location and severity of the disease. It usually follows a stepwise approach: medication first, then biologic treatments when indicated, and surgery for complications or when medical treatment fails.

Anti-inflammatory drugs

• Corticosteroids: used for a short time to reduce inflammation during flares. They are not a maintenance treatment because of their side effects. Budesonide, a corticosteroid with less effect on the rest of the body, is an option for mild to moderate disease of the end of the small intestine and the right colon.
• Immunosuppressants (azathioprine, methotrexate): regulate the immune system and help prevent relapses.

Mesalazine (5-ASA) is not recommended in Crohn's disease by the European guidelines (ECCO, 2020),even though it is still sometimes prescribed.

Biologics: targeted immune therapy

For moderate to severe disease, biologic drugs can reduce inflammation and promote healing of the bowel lining:

• Anti-TNF agents (infliximab, adalimumab).
• Anti-integrin therapy (vedolizumab).
• Interleukin inhibitors (ustekinumab and similar).

These treatments have side effects and require monitoring: they are detailed in the risks section. Never change or stop them on your own.

Nutrition

People with Crohn's disease often have nutritional deficiencies. Your team can offer:

• Dietary advice adapted to flare and remission phases.
• Supplements (iron, vitamin D, B12) when blood tests show a deficiency.
• Exclusive enteral nutrition in some cases, mainly in children.
• Help to stop smoking: smoking worsens Crohn's disease and raises the risk of recurrence after surgery.

Surgical options

Surgery is considered for complications (tight stricture, abscess, fistula, obstruction) or when medical treatment no longer controls the disease. Minimally invasive techniques can shorten recovery in some patients.

• Strictureplasty: widens a narrowed segment without removing bowel.
• Segmental resection: removes the most damaged section of bowel.
• Fistula surgery: treats abnormal channels, usually together with medication.
• Abscess drainage.

Surgery does not cure Crohn's disease: the disease can return, so medical treatment and follow-up continue after the operation.

Experimental treatments

Some approaches, such as stem-cell therapies, are not standard treatments. They should only be considered within a clinical trial, and must never delay proven treatment.

Contact Turquie Santé to have your file reviewed by a specialist.

Step-by-step: your treatment experience with Turquie Santé

Here is how Turquie Santé organizes your care, from the first contact to your return home.

1. Review of your file. Send your scans, lab reports or a description of your symptoms. A specialist reviews them and gives you a first medical opinion.
2. Detailed quote. You receive the recommended tests and treatments, the price and the expected length of stay.
3. Arrival. We organize your hospital appointments, airport pick-up, transfers and an interpreter.
4. Treatment in our partner clinics, with a coordinator available by phone throughout your stay.
5. After you leave. You receive your medical reports and treatment plan for your usual gastroenterologist, since Crohn's disease needs long-term follow-up.

Contact Turquie Santé to send your file.