Fate of the rectum after colectomy and ileostomy for Crohn's colitis

Dis Colon Rectum. 1991 Oct;34(10):931-5. doi: 10.1007/BF02049711.

Abstract

Eighty-four patients had colectomy with ileostomy and oversewing of the rectum for Crohn's colitis. Seventy-two patients were operated on because of intractable disease, colitis in combination with rectal fistulas, and toxic megacolon. The operative mortality was 6 percent, and neither emergency surgery nor treatment with steroids correlated with operative morbidity. After a median 7.7 years of follow-up, 25 ileorectal anastomoses had been undertaken, 16 of which were successful. Twenty-nine protectomies were performed; the resulting 10-year cumulative risk of proctectomy was 50 percent. While the risk of proctectomy was significantly less among patients with a normal rectum at colectomy compared with patients with proctitis, the initial macroscopic degree of proctitis did not correlate with the risk of subsequent proctectomy. The 5-year cumulative ileal resection rate in 29 patients with a rectum in situ but out of circuit was 29 percent. The possibility of a future ileorectal anastomosis should still be considered in patients with proctocolitis.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Chi-Square Distribution
  • Child
  • Colectomy*
  • Crohn Disease / pathology
  • Crohn Disease / surgery*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Ileostomy*
  • Intestinal Mucosa / pathology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Proctocolectomy, Restorative
  • Rectum / pathology
  • Rectum / surgery*
  • Recurrence
  • Reoperation