P301 Outcomes Following Colectomy for Patients with Ulcerative Colitis, Ten Years of Data from a Tertiary Referral Centre

Abstract Background Patients who undergo subtotal colectomy for Ulcerative Colitis (UC) have a persistent risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) in the retained rectum and this increases overtime. There are currently no guidelines for rectal surveillance in this group. We aimed to assess the outcome following colectomy for patients with UC over a ten year period. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with UC who underwent colorectal surgery in a tertiary referral centre. The Hospital In-Patient Enquiry system and the St Vincent's Hospital IBD Database were used to identify patients. Patients with colorectal cancer were excluded. Results In a six year period one-hundred and seventy six bowel surgeries were carried out for patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Sixty five of these procedures were performed on patients with UC, eight of which would subsequently be re-diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. 73.6% (n=42) had a completion proctectomy within ten years, 12% (n=7) were lost to follow up and 5% (n=3) died from non-gastrointestinal disorders. 8.7% (n=5) retained their rectum after ten years. For patients who had a completion proctectomy the median time to surgery was two years. Most of these patients did not have surveillance within the twenty four month time frame. Patients who had a completion proctectomy between three and ten years underwent surveillance endoscopy on average two occasions. All patients in the retained rectum group had surveillance proctoscopy with a median frequency of 2.4 years. The risk of further surgery was a factor for two patients due to obesity and decompensated liver disease. A third patient had an ileorectal anastamosis abroad and continues to have active rectal disease. Dysplasia was found in the rectum of the fourth patient thirteen years post colectomy. The final patient refused surgery but agreed to endoscopic surveillance. A rectal adenocarcinoma was diagnosed ten years post-operation. Conclusion Despite the absence of guidelines for completion proctectomy and/or surveillance of the retained rectal stump, three quarters of our UC patients had undergone completion proctectomy within ten years. A small but significant number of patients have a residual rectal stump after ten years, they require CRC surveillance and clear guidelines on this are needed.