Introduction

Features and management of post operative recurrence (POR) of Crohn’s Disease (CD) after ileocecal resection (ICR) are well defined, but POR after colectomy is scarcely described.

Aims & Methods

Multicenter, nationwide, retrospective study promoted by the Spanish Working Group on Crohn's and Colitis (GETECCU). CD patients who underwent segmental colectomy (SC) or subtotal colectomy (STC) between 2012 and 2023 were included. Primary endpoint was clinical POR, defined as CD-related symptoms requiring salvage therapy despite POR prophylaxis. Secondary endpoints included endoscopic POR (anastomotic and/or perianastomotic CD-associated lesions at endoscopy), association between clinical and endoscopic POR, comparison of clinical and endoscopic POR-free survival among different types of colectomy, surgical recurrence (need for reoperation) depending on colectomy subtypes; and identification of factors associated with post-colectomy POR.

Results

224 patients were included: 157 (70%) underwent SC and 67 (30%) underwent STC. In the SC group, patients were older [44 (SD 15) vs 39 (SD 14) years old, p=0.01] and B3 phenotype was more frequent [68/157 (43%) vs 14/67 (21%), p = 0.003]. POR prophylaxis was prescribed in 119/157 (76%) SC patients and in 47/67 (70%) STC patients, with no significant differences regarding the choice of agent (main baseline characteristics of the study population are described in Table 1). The main indication for surgery was stenosing disease [both in SC group (83/157, 53%) and STC group (34/67, (51%)]. Median follow-up was 19.5 [3.7–67.9] months to clinical POR and 14.0 [5.9–54.1] months to endoscopic POR. Clinical POR developed in 60/157 (38%) in the SC group and 42/67 (63%) in the STC group (p = 0.001). Endoscopic evaluation was available in 190/224 patients (85%) [131/157 SC (83%) and 59/67 (88%) STC]; endoscopic POR was detected in 66/131 (50%) SC patients and 42/59 (71%) STC patients (p=0.012). Among patients with endoscopic POR, 76/108 (70%) also presented clinical POR: 43/66 (65%) patients in the SC group and 33/42 (79%) in the STC group (p=0.203). Clinical and endoscopic POR-free survival was higher for SC than for STC (p log-rank <0.05). Surgical recurrence occurred in 17/157 patients (11%) in the SC group and in 8/67 patients (12%) in the STC group (p=0.992). Multivariate stepwise Cox proportional hazards regression showed significant association of STC, smoking and myenteric plexitis with both clinical POR (HR 2.36, 95%CI [1.45 - 3.82]; HR 1.34, 95%CI [1.03 - 1,75] and HR 1.71, 95%CI [1.01 - 2.91] respectively) and endoscopic POR (HR 2.47, 95%CI [1.49 - 4.10], HR 1.36, 95%CI [1.03 - 1.79] and HR 1.83, 95% CI [1.01 - 3.29], respectively); and immunomodulator prophylaxis with endoscopic POR (HR 1.72, 95%CI [1.02 - 2.90]) (all p-values <.05).

Conclusion

POR remains common after colectomy in patients with CD. Clinical and endoscopic POR rates are higher following STC compared to SC in patients under similar prophylactic regimes. Although prospective research is still warranted, our data support favoring segmental resection of colonic CD when feasible.

Disclosure

J.L.R.G. has received financial support for traveling and educational activities or has received fees as a speaker from Abbvie, Kern Pharma, Janssen, Takeda, Pfizer, Lilly, Galapagos, Adacyte, Ferring, Tillotts Pharma, Faes Farma, Norgine and Casen. C.S.F. has received financial support for traveling and educational activities or has received fees as a speaker or consultant from Abbvie, Kern Pharma, Lilly, Ferring, MSD, Janssen, Takeda and Tillotts Pharma. YZ has received financial support for travelling and educational activities from or has served as an advisory board member for AbbVie, Adacyte, Alfasigma, Almirall, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Dr Falk Pharma, Faes Pharma, Fresenius Kabi, Ferring, Galapagos, Janssen, Johnson&Johnson, Kern, Lilly, MSD, Otsuka, Pfizer, Sanofi, Shire, Takeda, and Tillotts Pharma. The rest of the authors have no conflicts of interest to declare regarding this study.