[Timing of surgery in inflammatory bowel disease]

Surgery is an integral part in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. Timely surgery is very necessary and can reduce the risk of postoperative complications. Overemphasizing the importance of medical therapy and prolonged use attempting to evade surgery can not maximize the efficacy of medical treatment, but may miss the optimal chance of surgical treatment. It has already been confirmed that ineffective medical treatment, corticosteroid use, malnutrition and infection are the risk factors of surgical complications and should be avoided. Emergency operation and operation at active stage of IBD also increase the surgical risk. Gastroenterologists should be responsible for the judgment of surgery timing and create surgical conditions for the patients with surgical indications.