ABSTRACT
Introduction:
Since the 1960s, mortality in Crohn's disease and Ulcerative Colitis patients had a significant decrease due to advances in medical and surgical therapy. An important proportion of these patients are submitted to surgical procedures during their disease course, with postoperative mortality between 4 and 10%.
Methods:
157 inflammatory bowel disease patients submitted to surgical therapy were retrospectively identified and allocated in 2 groups (Crohn's and colitis). Deaths were individually discriminated in detail.
Results:
281 surgical procedures were performed. In the colitis group, 43 operations were performed in 24 patients; in the abdominal Crohn's subgroup, 127 procedures in 90 patients and in the perineal Crohn's subgroup, 115 in 64 patients, respectively. Nine postoperative deaths were observed (3 in the colitis and 6 in the Crohn's groups). Overall postoperative mortality was 5.7% (4.5% for Crohn's; 6.6% in abdominal Crohn's and 12.5% for Colitis). Most of deaths were related to emergency procedures and previous use of corticosteroids. The cause of death in all patients was sepsis.
Conclusions:
Overall postoperative mortality in inflammatory bowel disease was 5.7%, and it was attributed to the severity of the cases referred.
Keywords:
Mortality; Crohn's disease; Ulcerative colitis; Surgery