MINNEAPOLIS (January 5, 2010) -- The Sickle Cell Clinic, now open at University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview is the only clinic in the Twin Cities to focus exclusively on the needs of adults with sickle cell disease, an inherited and life-long illness that can only be cured through bone-marrow transplant.

The clinic features a multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurse practitioners and social workers who specialize in treating adult sickle cell patients and work closely with other caregivers. Patients will see primary care practitioners to manage their general health.

Providers at the clinic will help patients manage the symptoms and complications of sickle cell disease -- creating a better quality of life through world-class care. Pain management will be a primary area of focus in which the clinic will work with patients to develop a pain control plan that works best for them. This may range from using over-the-counter medicine and heating pads to stronger narcotics.

By following the clinic’s specialized treatment program, patients should be able to reduce the frequency of crises and other complications related to sickle cell disease, minimizing emergency room visits, blood transfusions and long hospital stays. “The goal is to have a great quality of life -- in which sickle cell disease does not define patients or how they live,” says M. Obinna Nwaneri, M.D., co-head of the clinic with Thokozeni Lipato, M.D.

In addition to care, the Sickle Cell Clinic will practice a strong a commitment to clinical research. The clinic team will be continually searching for new ways to treat sickle cell disease, studying everything from gene therapy to improved transplants. Patients can rest assured that the clinic team will be on the leading edge and offering new treatments to patients as appropriate, Nwaneri says.

For more information on the Sickle Cell Clinic, or to schedule an appointment, consultation or to refer a patient, call 612-273-4570.