Early colectomy in severe ulcerative colitis.
Before 1 February 1967 patients with severe attacks of ulcerative colitis were usually operated on after a prolonged period of medical treatment, and the mortality was 22%. During a 7-year period, beginning 1 February 1967, early colectomy has been perfomed in 21 patients with toxic megacolon and 58 patients with fulminating colitis. Immediate mortality in these 79 patients was 1.2% (one death). Two more patients died in connection with secondary operations. Thus the overall operative mortality in the present series was 3.7%.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003082:Colectomy; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007081:Ileostomy; D008297:Male; D008532:Megacolon, Toxic / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality; D013997:Time Factors