Incidence of ischemic colitis following abdominal aortic reconstruction

The incidence of ischemic colitis following abdominal aortic reconstruction was determined by postoperative colonoscopy during a three year period. The over-all incidence of colitis was 11 of 163 patients who underwent elective or urgent reconstruction of the abdominal aorta for aneurysmal and occlusive diseases. The incidence of ischemic colitis for patients who survived resection of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms was higher, although the colonoscopy rate was lower. The incidence might have been even higher if all patients surviving resection of ruptured abdominal aneurysms had undergone colonoscopy.