Our Services / Infusion Services

Infusion Services services offered in Chesterfield, MO

Infusion services are treatments that help you get the medications, fluids, or nutrients you can’t take by mouth. Instead, they’re administered directly into your bloodstream through an intravenous (IV) line in your vein. The physicians at Gateway Gastroenterology offer infusion services at their main office in Chesterfield, Missouri, for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Call the office or request an appointment online today.

Infusion Services Q & A

What are infusion services?

Infusion services include treatments given through an intravenous (IV) line placed in your vein. This includes fluids, medications, and nutrients. You may benefit from infusion services if you need a medication you can’t take by mouth or need to quickly replenish fluids or nutrients.

Gateway Gastroenterology offers infusion services at their main office in Chesterfield. They provide these services to administer IV medications for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

IBD includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. These chronic digestive disorders cause inflammation and ulcerations along the gastrointestinal tract. The inflammation occurs because of a problem with the immune system.

Normally the immune system attacks foreign agents to protect your body from getting sick. However, in people with IBD, the immune system mistakenly attacks the intestinal lining, causing inflammation and damage.

Gateway Gastroenterology provides infusion services for patients with moderate to severe IBD.

What treatments are available with infusion services?

Infusion services at Gateway Gastroenterology include immunomodulators and biologics that treat moderate to severe IBD.

Immunomodulators

Immunomodulators for IBD inhibit the release of the immune system chemicals that cause inflammation in the digestive tract. Methotrexate is a type of immunomodulator given through an IV line.

Biologics

Biologics reduce inflammation by stopping the action of the proteins in the body that cause inflammation. Infliximab (Remicade®), certolizumab (Cimzia®), and vedolizumab (Entyvio®) are biologic IV medications used to treat IBD.

What can I expect during infusion services?

When you come in for infusion services at Gateway Gastroenterology, you can expect patient-centered care. The specifics of your treatment depend on the type of medication you need.

While you sit comfortably in the infusion chair, one of the health care providers at Gateway Gastroenterology inserts an IV line in your arm and starts your infusion.

The length of your infusion depends on the medication you need, ranging from 30 minutes to a few hours. Your provider at Gateway Gastroenterology schedules follow-up infusions at set intervals, usually every few weeks, to help heal the inflammation.

You may start to notice improvements in your symptoms after several weeks of treatment.

To find out more about infusion services at Gateway Gastroenterology, call or request an appointment online today.