Perineal wound healing after proctectomy for inflammatory bowel disease

One hundred fifty-one cases of patients who underwent proctectomy for inflammatory bowel disease at the Lahey Clinic were analyzed with respect to the factors that predispose to delay in perineal wound healing. Significantly poorer healing took place in patients with Crohn's colitis, in men with ulcerative colitis, and in patients with ulcerative colitis who underwent one-stage operations. Factors that were not statistically significant but that appeared to contribute to delay in healing were younger age of patients and presence of anal fistula. A comparison is made with the results of other series, and recommendations for treatment and prevention are presented.