[Has ileo-anal anastomosis modified the pattern of operated patients?]

Frequency of colectomy for ulcerative colitis seems to have increased in some referral centers since the introduction of sphincter saving operations. Within the 5 years after occurrence of these new techniques, time between diagnosis and colectomy has shortened, emergency colectomies have decreased and patients operated on for resistance to treatment were more frequent. These trends reflect a tendency of patients and doctors toward earlier surgery, now that sphincter-saving techniques are available.