Continence preserving and other innovative procedures for inflammatory bowel disease

Over the past 20 years, there have been major changes in the philosophy of treating inflammatory bowel disease. Significant advances include the development of continence preserving or sphincter saving procedures for ulcerative colitis patients and recognition of the need for bowel conservation in patients with Crohn's disease. Illustrative cases are presented followed by a brief description of state-of-the-art surgical management in these patients.