Pregnancy outcomes after stoma surgery for inflammatory bowel disease: The results of a retrospective multicentre audit

Extraperitoneal Cesarean Section after two Medial Laparotomies, Anus Prater, and Surgical Treatment of the Rectovaginal Fistula in a Patient with Crohn's Disease: A Case Report

The aim of this case report is to show the advantages of the extraperitoneal cesarean section (ECS) approach in a pregnant patient with multiple previous abdominal transperitoneal colon surgeries and Crohn's disease. A pregnant nulliparous woman with Crohn's disease was admitted for delivery. After delivery, a large rupture and lesion of the rectum was observed. Suturing of the vagina, rectum and sphincter was performed by an abdominal surgeon. Because of a very large and irregularly shaped rectum rupture, the patient underwent infraumbilical medial laparotomy and sigmoidostomy. After 18 months, the patient started to experience vaginal discharge and Y-shaped rectovaginal fistula was confirmed. Surgical reconstruction was performed. The patient's second pregnancy began one year later. At 38 weeks of pregnancy, elective extraperitoneal cesarean section was performed. A healthy newborn was delivered. Follow-up showed full and fast recovery after the ECS. In cases of pregnant women who have had multiple colon surgeries, gynecology surgeons can choose to perform an ECS to avoid transperitoneal entrance into the abdomen. ECS avoids lysis of postoperative adhesions after repetitive gastrointestinal surgeries, the formation of new adhesions by lysis of the old adhesions, and most importantly, the possibility of colon or small intestine lesions during lysis of dense or firm adhesions.

Does Surgery Before Pregnancy in Women With Inflammatory Bowel Disease Increase the Risk of Adverse Maternal and Fetal Outcomes? A Danish National Cohort Study

INTRODUCTION

Up to 15% of women with Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC) undergo bowel surgery before pregnancy, and there is little data on pregnancy outcomes in this population. We aimed to assess maternal/fetal outcomes in women with CD or UC who underwent surgeries before pregnancy.

METHODS

In this nationwide study, we included all pregnancies in women with CD or UC from 1997 to 2022 and examined 6 categories of CD and UC surgeries before pregnancy. We used multilevel logistic regression to compute crude and adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for the risk of pregnancy and offspring complications in women who did, vs did not, undergo surgery before pregnancy.

RESULTS

There were 833 UC and 3,150 CD pregnancies with prior surgery and 12,883 UC and CD 6,972 pregnancies without surgery. For UC, prior surgery was associated with Cesarian section (C-section) (ileoanal pouch: aOR: 20.03 [95% CI 10.33-38.83]; functional ileostomy: aOR:8.55 [6.10-11.98]; diverting ileostomy: aOR: 38.96 [17.05-89.01]) and preterm birth (aOR: 2.25 [1.48-3.75]; 3.25 [2.31-4.59]; and 2.17 [1.17-4.00]) respectively. For CD and prior intestinal surgery, the risks of C-section (aOR: 1.94 [1.66-2.27]), preterm birth (aOR: 1.30 [1.04-1.61]), and low 5-minute Apgar (aOR: 1.95 [95% CI 1.07-3.54]) increased and premature rupture of membranes (aOR: 0.68 [0.52-0.89]) decreased. For CD with only prior perianal surgery, the risk of C-section (aOR: 3.02 [2.31-3.95]) increased and risk of gestational hypertension/preeclampsia/eclampsia (aOR: 0.52 [0.30-0.89]) decreased.

DISCUSSION

Providers should be aware there is an increased likelihood of C-section and certain perinatal complications in patients with CD or UC surgery before pregnancy.

Inflammatory bowel disease in pregnancy and breastfeeding

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has a peak age of diagnosis before the age of 35 years. Concerns about infertility, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and heritability of IBD have influenced decision-making for patients of childbearing age and their care providers. The interplay between the complex physiology in pregnancy and IBD can affect placental development, microbiome composition and responses to therapy. Current evidence has shown that effective disease management, including pre-conception counselling, multidisciplinary care and therapeutic agents to minimize disease activity, can improve pregnancy outcomes. This Review outlines the management of IBD in pregnancy and the safety of IBD therapies, including novel agents, with regard to both maternal and fetal health. The vast majority of IBD therapies can be used with low risk during pregnancy and lactation without substantial effects on neonatal outcomes.

Obstetric Considerations in Pregnant Women with Crohn's Disease

Crohn's disease affects many women of childbearing age. Fecundity rates are often lower than in the general population due to reduced fertility during active inflammation, effects of pelvic surgery or voluntary childlessness. Many women have concerns regarding the effects of pregnancy on their Crohn's, any potential effect of medication on the fetus, and passing on Crohn's disease to the offspring. International guidelines on reproduction for women with Crohn's disease provide evidence-based advice to patients and health care professionals. There is an increasing literature on the safety of advanced medication for Crohn's disease during pregnancy. This review article therefore focuses on obstetric considerations beyond medication safety. We provide information on fertility, factors affecting pregnancy and fetal outcomes, obstetric complications, factors influencing mode of delivery, management of intestinal stomas during pregnancy and general considerations around breast feeding.

The Benefits and Drawbacks of Staging Pelvic Pouches

Since the mid-20th century, physicians have searched for way to improve the lives of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). Early attempts of curative resection left the patients with a permanent stoma with only primitive stoma appliances available. Gradually, stoma care improved and operations were devised to give the patient bowel continuity without the need for a permanent ostomy. As these operations were evolving, benefits and drawbacks related to fertility, ease of small bowel reach to the pelvis, and postoperative pelvic sepsis were observed. In this article, we will elucidate the various ways pelvic pouches are used to treat UC and the rationale for the timing of surgery as well as the evolution of stoma care.