The Use of Temporary Fecal Diversion in Colonic and Perianal Crohn's Disease Does Not Improve Outcomes

To determine whether temporary fecal diversion for refractory colonic and/or perianal Crohn's disease can lead to clinical remission and restoration of intestinal continuity after optimization of medical therapy.

We retrospectively reviewed our prospectively maintained database of patients treated at the University of Maryland for Crohn's disease between May 2004 and July 2014. Patients with colonic, perianal, or colonic and perianal Crohn's disease, who had fecal diversion for control of medically refractory and/or severe disease, were included. Outcomes, including disease activity and rate of ileostomy reversal, were evaluated up to 24 months from stoma formation.

Thirty patients were identified. Fecal diversion was performed for perianal disease in 37%, colonic disease in 33%, and both in 30% of patients. Twelve (40%) patients underwent ileostomy reversal. Twenty-five percent of patients with perianal disease had their ostomies reversed compared to 70% of patients with colonic disease alone. More patients with complex compared to simple perianal disease remained diverted (p = 0.02). Six (20%) patients required colectomy. Of these, 50% had complex perianal disease, all had received two or more biologics, and two-thirds were on combination therapy pre-diversion.

Our study found that nearly two-thirds of patients with medically refractory colonic and/or severe perianal Crohn's disease treated with fecal diversion and optimization of postoperative medical therapy remain diverted or require colectomy within two years after ileostomy formation. In patients with severe, refractory perianal disease and those treated with combination therapy and >1 biologic exposure pre-diversion, colectomy rather than temporary fecal diversion should be considered.