Surgical Indications and Procedures in Ulcerative Colitis

Chronic ulcerative colitis (CUC) is an inflammatory bowel disease limited to the mucosa of the rectum and colon. The inflammation begins in the rectum and progresses uninterrupted for variable distances. To date, no etiologic factor has been identified. However, population studies suggest there is both a genetic and environmental component contributing to the development of CUC. The natural history is one of a chronic inflammatory state, characterized by intermittent flares of disease activity. In a small number of patients, the initial presentation of CUC is of a fulminant nature. Medical therapy for the intestinal manifestations of CUC is directed at controlling symptoms through treatment of the underlying inflammatory process. Medical therapy is not curative for either the intestinal or extraintestinal manifestation of CUC. However, surgical removal of the colon and rectum cures the intestinal manifestations of the disease and eliminates or markedly reduces the associated risk of malignancy in longstanding CUC. The indications for surgical intervention are divided into two broad categories that influence the type of surgery performed: emergent and elective surgery. Emergency operations are directed at life-threatening complications of CUC and are not intended as definitive surgical treatment for CUC. Alternatively, elective surgery is intended as definitive treatment for the intestinal component of the disease. In appropriately selected patients, the best surgical treatment option is the total proctocolectomy with an ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA). The IPAA avoids the need for a permanent stoma and maintains the normal route of defecation. This is a technically demanding operation and should be performed by surgeons comfortable with the procedure. The severity and frequency of complications related to IPAA have decreased significantly since the introduction of the operations in the early 1980s. More importantly, long-term follow-up of IPAA patients has demonstrated that the functional results are durable and patient satisfaction remains high.