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Uma Mahadevan, Edward V. Loftus, William J. Tremaine, John H. Pemberton, W. Scott Harmsen, Cathy D. Schleck, Alan R. Zinsmeister, William J. Sandborn, Azathioprine or 6-Mercaptopurine Before Colectomy for Ulcerative Colitis Is Not Associated With Increased Postoperative Complications, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Volume 8, Issue 5, 1 September 2002, Pages 311–316, https://doi.org/10.1097/00054725-200209000-00001
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Summary
To determine whether the use of azathioprine/6-mercaptopurine before colectomy is associated with an increased rate of postoperative complications.
All patients who underwent colectomy with ileal pouch–anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis between 1997 and 1999 were identified. Medical records were abstracted for demographics, extent and duration of disease, dose and duration of corticosteroids and azathioprine/6-mercaptopurine, albumin, and Truelove/Witts score. Early (30-day) and late (6-month) complications were identified. Noncorticosteroid immunosuppressive use was coded as none, azathioprine/6-mercaptopurine within 1 week of surgery, or therapy with other immunosuppressive agents within 1 month of surgery. A logistic regression analysis assessed the association between these variables and complications.
Early complications occurred in 49 of 151 (32%) patients not treated with immunosuppressive agents, 12 of 46 (26%) azathioprine/6-mercaptopurine-treated patients, and 4 of 12 (33%) patients treated with other immunosuppressive agents (p = 0.71). Late complications occurred in 72 of 148 (49%), 20 of 46 (43%), and 8 of 12 (67%) patients in these same groups, respectively. Intravenous or oral steroids at doses of 40 mg/d or greater (p < 0.01) and severe or fulminant disease (p = 0.0094) were associated with greater early complication rates.
Early complications after restorative proctocolectomy for ulcerative colitis are associated with high dose steroids and severe disease but not use of azathioprine/6-mercaptopurine.
