How is inflammatory bowel disease cured?

Cure for IBD?: Ulcerative colitis involves inflammation of the colonic mucosal surface, so colectomy (removal of the colon) is curative for it. Crohn's disease however is a transmural (full-thickness) inflammation of any part of the GI tract (from mouth to anus). Crohn's is not curable, but it is controllable with medications (see my previous healthtap answer regarding "step up" versus "top down" treatments.

Maintain remission: Ibd is a chronic illness like diabetes and hypertension. There is no cure to crohn's disease and the only cure for ulcerative colitis is a total colectomy. The key is maintaining remission with the proper medications.