Emergency colectomy for acute severe ulcerative colitis: a nationwide survey on technical strategies of the Italian society of colorectal surgery (SICCR)

Emergency subtotal colectomy is the standard treatment for acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC) unresponsive to medical treatment. No guidelines are available about surgical technique. The aim of the current survey was to identify the attitudes of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) surgeons concerning colectomy in patients with ASUC by means of a nationwide survey, with specific focus on intraoperative technical details. A survey was developed with focus on number of procedures performed, approach to vascular ligation, technique of bowel dissection, treatment of the omentum and of the rectal stump. Twenty Centres completed the survey. Seventy percent of responders started the colectomy laparoscopically. No significant differences were observed about vessels and mesocolic dissection as well as on the choice of the starting colon side and management of the omentum. Ileocolic vessels were ligated distally by 70% and at the origin by 30% and those who transect mesenteric vessels distally are significatively more likely to perform the dissection from lateral to medial and to cut the middle colic vessels distally and 100% of the ones linking left vessels at mesenteric axis transect middle colic vessels at the origin. No differences were observed in the treatment of rectal stump; however, all surgeons who performed a transrectal drainage (45%) left the rectal stump intraperitoneal (p < 0.05). No consensus exists about the technique of dissection, vascular ligation, treatment of the omentum and management of rectal stump. Further studies are needed to evaluate the impact of the different surgical techniques on patients’ outcomes.