Faculty Bibliography

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND:Over the past 50 years, prophylactic colorectal surgery for patients with familial adenomatous polyposis has evolved as new technologies and ideas have emerged. The aim of this study was to review all the index surgeries for familial adenomatous polyposis performed at our institution to assess the changes in surgical techniques. METHODS:All index abdominal surgeries for polyposis from 1950 to 2007 were identified through the Polyposis Registry Database. We assigned the patients to prepouch (before 1983), pouch (after 1983), and laparoscopic (after 1991) eras, and analyzed the changes in prophylactic surgery. RESULTS:Four hundred twenty-four patients were included; 51% were male. Median age at surgery was 26 (range, 9-66) years. In the prepouch era, 97% (66 of 68) of all surgeries and 100% of restorative surgeries were ileorectal anastomosis. After 1983, 70% (54 of 77) of patients with a severe phenotype had an ileal pouch-anal anastomosis. After 1991, 110 operations (43%) were laparoscopic (88 ileorectal and 22 ileal pouch-anal anastomosis). CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Colon surgery for familial adenomatous polyposis has evolved as advances in surgical technique have created more options to reduce the risk of cancer. Current strategy uses polyposis severity and distribution to decide on the surgical option, and laparoscopy to minimize morbidity.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical outcomes, quality-adjusted life-years, and the cost-effectiveness gained from percutaneous drainage followed by elective surgery vs. initial surgery for abdominopelvic abscesses related to Crohn's disease. METHODS:All consecutive patients with spontaneous Crohn's disease-related abdominopelvic abscess from 1997 to 2007 were reviewed. The authors excluded postoperative and perirectal abscesses. Decision analysis during one year of patient life was used to calculate quality-adjusted life-years and the cost-effectiveness of each strategy. RESULTS:Of 94 patients, 48 (51 percent) were initially approached with percutaneous drainage. Thirty-one (65 percent) had successful percutaneous drainage and delayed elective surgery. The factors significantly associated with percutaneous drainage failure were steroid use, colonic phenotype, and multiple or multilocular abscesses. The initial treatment was surgery in the remaining 46 (49 percent) patients. The initial approach with percutaneous drainage gave higher quality-adjusted life-years and was more cost-effective than initial surgery. Percutaneous drainage was the optimal strategy in spite of the risk of failure and septic complications within the plausible range. CONCLUSIONS:Percutaneous drainage failure is associated with steroid use, colonic phenotype, and multiple or multilocular abscesses. When feasible, percutaneous drainage is the most effective strategy from the perspective of patients and third-party payers.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE:The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of abdominal computerized tomography (CT) on the decision to perform colectomy in patients with severe acute ulcerative colitis (SAC). METHODS:Patients with SAC admitted to a single hospital between 2002 and 2007 were reviewed. The criteria for SAC were > or =6 bloody bowel movements per day plus fever >37.8 degrees C, pulse >90, or hemoglobin <10.5 g/dL. Study patients were given a SAC score of 2-4 based on these criteria. Clinical and laboratory parameters, medication use, abdominal X-ray, and endoscopic findings in SAC patients who did or did not have an abdominal CT were compared. Chi-squared, Fisher exact test, and Wilcoxon rank sum test were used as appropriate. RESULTS:Ninety-two consecutive patients with SAC were evaluated. CT was performed in 26 (28%). The SAC score, laboratory values, abdominal X-ray, and endoscopic findings were similar in patients who did or did not have a CT. Colectomy was performed in 32 (48%) and 10 (38%) patients who did or did not have a CT, respectively (p = 0.4). The CT findings were similar in patients who required colectomy and those who did not require colectomy. In two (8%) of the patients who underwent CT, the CT findings clearly influenced the decision to perform or defer colectomy. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:CT has a minor impact on the decision to perform colectomy in patients with severe acute ulcerative colitis.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE:Little data exist regarding infliximab use in surgical decision making and postoperative complications in ulcerative colitis. Our goals were to determine the rate of postoperative complications in infliximab-treated ulcerative colitis patients undergoing restorative proctocolectomy and to determine whether three-stage procedures are more often necessary. METHODS:We studied a group of infliximab-treated patients and matched control subjects who underwent two-stage restorative proctocolectomy between 2000 and 2006. Postoperative complications were compared. In addition, the rate of three-stage procedures was compared between all infliximab- and noninfliximab-treated patients. RESULTS:A total of 523 restorative proctocolectomies were performed. In the infliximab group, there were 46 two-stage and 39 three-stage procedures. Covariate-adjusted odds of early complication for the infliximab group was 3.54 times that of controls (P = 0.004; 95 percent confidence interval (CI), 1.51-8.31). The odds of sepsis were 13.8 times greater (P = 0.011; 95 percent CI, 1.82-105) and the odds of late complication were 2.19 times greater (P = 0.08; 95 percent CI, 0.91-5.28) for infliximab. The odds of requirement for three-stage procedures was 2.07 times greater in the infliximab group (P = 0.011; 95 percent CI, 1.18-3.63). CONCLUSIONS:Infliximab increases the risk of postoperative complications after restorative proctocolectomy and has altered the surgical approach to ulcerative colitis. Potential benefits of infliximab should be balanced against these risks.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE:This study was designed to evaluate the yield and cost of fever evaluations in average-risk inpatients after elective colorectal surgery. METHODS:A 12-month, retrospective study was performed on patients who developed a postoperative fever > or = 38 degrees C after elective colorectal surgery. A positive fever evaluation was defined as a blood culture, urine culture, chest x-ray, or abdominal CT result that led to a change in patient management. Logistic regression, Fisher's exact test, and chi-squared test were used; odds ratios were calculated. RESULTS:Of 133 patients, 26 percent had a positive evaluation. Blood culture, urine culture, chest x-ray, and CT were positive in 3, 8, 7, and 46 percent, respectively. Risk factors for a positive fever evaluation were temperature > or = 38.5 degrees C, fever evaluation after postoperative Day 6, and a clinical manifestation of systemic inflammatory response syndrome other than fever (all, P < 0.01). The cost per positive fever evaluation for the entire group, patients with 2 risk factors, or patients with 3 risk factors was $5,600, $4,200, and $2,140, respectively. CONCLUSIONS:The current approach to fever evaluation after elective colorectal surgery is low yield and costly. High fever, late postoperative fever, and systemic inflammatory response syndrome are risk factors for a positive fever evaluation after colorectal surgery.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE:CT enterography (CTE) is a technique that provides detailed images of the small bowel by using a low Hounsfield unit oral contrast media. This study was designed to correlate CTE findings with operative findings in patients with Crohn's disease. METHODS:We performed a retrospective study of all patients with Crohn's disease of the small bowel or colon, who had CTE and subsequent small bowel or colon surgery within three months after the CT examination. CTE findings of stricture, fistula, inflammatory mass, abscess, and combinations of these abnormalities were compared with operative findings. Specialist radiologists and fellowship-trained colorectal surgeons participated in the study. The Fisher's exact test or chi-squared tests were used with respect to categorical data, and the Wilcoxon's rank-sum test was used for quantitative data. RESULTS:In 36 patients, the presence or absence of stricture, fistula, abscess, or inflammatory mass was correctly determined by CTE in 100, 94, 100, and 97 percent, respectively. The accuracy for stricture or fistula number was 83 and 86 percent, respectively. There were nine patients with multiple disease phenotypes identified on CTE of which eight were confirmed at surgery. CTE overestimated or underestimated the extent of disease in 11 patients (31 percent). CONCLUSIONS:CTE is an accurate preoperative diagnostic imaging study for small-bowel Crohn's disease. The ability of this imaging study to detect both luminal and extraluminal pathology is a distinct advantage of CTE compared with small-bowel contrast studies.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to compare short and long-term outcomes of laparoscopic colectomy with open colectomy in patients with Crohn's disease confined to the colon. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed all patients undergoing laparoscopic colectomy for Crohn's disease at our institution between 1994 and 2005. Laparoscopic colectomies were matched to open colectomies by patient age, gender, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, type, and year of surgery. We excluded patients with concomitant small bowel disease. RESULTS: Twenty-seven laparoscopic cases were matched with 27 open cases. There were seven conversions (26%). There was no mortality. Median operative times were significantly longer after laparoscopic colectomy (240 vs 150 min, P < 0.01), and estimated blood loss was comparable (325 vs 350 ml, P = 0.4). Postoperative complications were similar. Laparoscopic colectomies had shorter median length of stay (5 vs 6 days, P = 0.07) and median time to first bowel movement (3 vs 4 days, P = 0.4). When overall length of stay included 30-day readmissions, the difference in favor of laparoscopy became statistically significant (P = 0.02). Recurrent disease requiring surgery was decreased after laparoscopy, although median follow-up was significantly shorter. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic colectomy is a safe and acceptable option for patients with Crohn's colitis. Longer follow-up is needed to accurately establish recurrence rates.