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Surgery for ulcerative colitis in Greece: clinicoepidemiological features and long-term outcome of 69 consecutive
J K Triantafillidis1, E Pomonis, A Emmanouilidis
1Department of Gastroenterology of Saint Panteleimon General State Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Background/Aims:
In this study, the various clinicoepidemiological characteristics and long-term follow-up of patients operated on for ulcerative colitis in Greece over a period of 15 years, are reviewed.
Methodology:
A total number of 69 out of 413 patients with ulcerative colitis (17.8%) seen and followed-up for a mean period of 12 years, had undergone ileorectal anastomosis (45.6%), total proctocolectomy with permanent ileostomy (35.6%), ileal-anal pouch anastomosis (17.6%) and Kock ileostomy (1.5%), mainly for bad response to conservative treatment (78.3%). Other causes for operation were large bowel cancer (8.7%), profound hemorrhage (4.3%), toxic megacolon (1.4%), and rectovaginal fistula (1.4%). Almost half of the operations (45%) were performed between the first and fourth year after the establishment of diagnosis.
Results:
A number of statistically highly significant differences between the operated and non-operated group of patients were noticed. So, patients operated on had more extensive disease in comparison with non-operated ones and were younger at the time of diagnosis. The overall perioperative morbidity and mortality were 6% and 5% respectively. Survival was not statistically significantly different between operated and non-operated patients and also did not differ significantly between men and women. Most of the deaths in the operated and non-operated group of patients were unrelated to ulcerative colitis.
Conclusion:
It is concluded that the clinicoepidemiological features and outcome of the Greek patients operated on for ulcerative colitis have similarities with those reported from other developed countries of the world.