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IFFGD was founded in 1991 in response to a lack of awareness, understanding and treatment options for people suffering with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), fecal incontinence and gastrointestinal disorders.

There is a growing understanding of the multifaceted nature of functional gastrointestinal disorders.

Over 1,000 new cases of Hirschsprung’s disease are diagnosed in the USA every year. More than half the children treated appropriately with surgery for Hirschsprung’s disease suffer from chronic problems with constipation, incontinence, and/or abdominal pain. Even as adults, over half will experience occasional episodes of incontinence, and 10% will endure constipation unresponsive to medical management. Nonetheless, adjustment for teenagers and young adults with Hirschsprung’s disease is not different than for healthy children; successful adjustment depends largely on family support. Revised and updated 2009.

Hirschsprung’s disease is an illness that people are born with (congenital), in which there is a lack of nerve cells (ganglion cells) in the segments of the intestinal tract located in the colon or rectum. Since the first operative curative technique for Hirschsprung’s disease was described in 1948, progress in diagnostic methods and surgical techniques have allowed the survival and successful treatment of most children with Hirschsprung’s disease. In spite of these advances, postoperative problems continue to occur. Recently, research has produced a better understanding of the disease, knowledge that will undoubtedly lead to further refinements of the surgical techniques and better treatment of these patients.

Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIP) is a rare disorder of gastrointestinal motility where coordinated contractions (peristalsis) in the intestinal tract become altered and inefficient. When this happens, nutritional requirements cannot be adequately met. This article discusses the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatments of CIP. Reviewed 2009.

Is there a health benefit from high colonics? Are there risks? This article will help you understand how the bowels function and whether or not there is a role for high colonics.

This publication is intended to help people with short bowel syndrome (SBS) and their family members understand why symptoms occur and provide an overview on how SBS can be managed.

Many patients complain of chronic pelvic pain. True pelvic pain is commonly felt deep within the bony pelvis or below in the area known as the perineum. However, it may also be felt in the lower abdomen. Thus pelvic pain and abdominal pain may be confused and need to be distinguished. Reviewed 2009.

A fistula is an abnormal connection between two organs or two tissue surfaces. An anal fistula (fistula-in-ano) is a connection between the anal canal and the skin. This fact sheet will help you to understand the cause, treatment, and complications of therapy for fistula-in-ano.

Read more About Gastrointestinal Infections The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of typical therapies for GI infections. It is important to understand all your options in treatment; however, this article should not replace the advice of a healthcare professional.  If you think you have a gastrointestinal infection, you should see your […]

Dealing with a chronic gastrointestinal disorder such as IBS can be distressing. You may have days where you don’t want to leave the house. You may feel you are sensitive to certain foods and/or have made significant restrictions to your diet. You may feel abdominal cramping one minute and bloating the next. You may walk into a room and check to see where the nearest restroom is, and may even avoid social situations more than you would like. Your bowel symptoms may feel unpredictable and you wish there was something more you could do to regain a sense of control of your life.

Physicians can usually identify irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) from patients’ symptoms. Many patients additionally require only routine blood tests and a colon evaluation, and some require no tests at all to secure the diagnosis. However, some patients worry that they could have another cause for their symptoms, especially when symptoms are severe and chronic, or they know other people who they think had similar symptoms but a different disorder. Occasionally, another medical problem mimics IBS symptoms. This discussion focuses on how IBS is diagnosed and distinguished from other disorders. Reviewed and updated 2009.