Surgical management of ulcerative colitis in an ongoing pregnancy: report of a case and literature review

The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland consensus guidelines in surgery for inflammatory bowel disease

AIM

There is a requirement of an expansive and up to date review of surgical management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that can dovetail with the medical guidelines produced by the British Society of Gastroenterology.

METHODS

Surgeons who are members of the ACPGBI with a recognised interest in IBD were invited to contribute various sections of the guidelines. They were directed to produce a procedure based document using literature searches that were systematic, comprehensible, transparent and reproducible. Levels of evidence were graded. An editorial board was convened to ensure consistency of style, presentation and quality. Each author was asked to provide a set of recommendations which were evidence based and unambiguous. These recommendations were submitted to the whole guideline group and scored. They were then refined and submitted to a second vote. Only those that achieved >80% consensus at level 5 (strongly agree) or level 4 (agree) after 2 votes were included in the guidelines.

RESULTS

All aspects of surgical care for IBD have been included along with 157 recommendations for management.

CONCLUSION

These guidelines provide an up to date and evidence based summary of the current surgical knowledge in the management of IBD and will serve as a useful practical text for clinicians performing this type of surgery.

Salvage therapy for acute severe ulcerative colitis during pregnancy

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease with an age of onset that affects young people during the peak of their reproductive years. Management of flares of disease during pregnancy can be complex and there are few case reports of pregnant women with acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC). We present the case of a 31-year-old pregnant woman who at 16 weeks gestation developed ASUC in the context of primary non-response to infliximab therapy. She subsequently underwent an emergency laparoscopic colectomy after failing to respond to hydrocortisone and cyclosporine salvage therapy. Her pregnancy was further complicated by HELLP (Haemolysis, Elevated liver enzymes and Low Platelets) syndrome resulting in premature delivery at 27 weeks gestation. This case highlights the management issues involved in ASUC during pregnancy and the assessment of disease activity, use of salvage therapies, and provides a framework to approach this complex medical emergency.

Surgical management of complicated and medically refractory inflammatory bowel disease during pregnancy

AIM

The medical management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in pregnancy and the puerperium is well defined. Data on surgical management of complicated IBD in this setting are lacking. This study aimed to determine the optimal surgical strategy for medically refractory IBD during pregnancy and the puerperium.

METHOD

Three databases were systematically reviewed to identify all published series or case reports of women undergoing surgery for Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC) while pregnant or during the puerperium.

RESULTS

Thirty-two papers were identified, including 86 patients. Nearly one-fifth (18%) of cases were de novo presentations and intervention was required at all stages of pregnancy. UC refractory to medical treatment and perforated small bowel CD were the commonest indications for surgery. Operations used included colectomy, colectomy with mucous fistula and Turnbull-blowhole colostomy for complicated UC and open or laparoscopic small bowel resection with stoma formation for CD. Surgical intervention during the third trimester universally resulted in the onset of labour. Endoscopic and radiological interventions were rarely employed. In studies after 1980 there was no maternal or foetal mortality but there was an almost 50% preterm delivery rate.

CONCLUSION

Surgical management of complicated IBD during pregnancy and the puerperium needs to be tailored to disease severity, the type of complications and foetal status. It should involve gastroenterologists, colorectal surgeons, obstetricians and neonatal specialists in a multidisciplinary manner within a single unit.

Surgical management of colonic perforation due to ulcerative colitis during pregnancy: Report of a case

This report describes a young female in her second trimester of pregnancy with known ulcerative colitis on maintenance medical therapy. She was admitted for abdominal pain, and workup revealed a colonic stricture and ulceration with contained perforation. After multidisciplinary discussion she was managed with colectomy and end ileostomy. She delivered a healthy newborn 18 wk after surgery. Only a few prior reports described surgical management of inflammatory bowel disease during pregnancy, with recent results indicating low risk of adverse outcomes.