Surgery for ulcerative colitis is only done in people with severe disease. Most of the people who have their colon removed to cure
severe ulcerative colitis say their quality of life is better
after surgery than it was before. Their symptoms of abdominal pain, urgency,
and frequent bowel movements go away, and their lives no longer revolve around
the bathroom.
- One study found that quality-of-life scores of
people who had proctocolectomy with ileostomy were similar to those of the general
population.1
- A study that followed people
with inflammatory bowel disease for up to 6 years found that those who had
ileoanal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis rated their quality of life much
higher after surgery than before it.2
Citations
Camilleri-Brennan J, Steele RJ (2001). Objective
assessment of quality of life following panproctocolectomy and ileostomy for
ulcerative colitis. Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, 83(5): 321-324.
Thirlby RC, et al. (2001). The long-term benefit of
surgery on health-related quality of life in patients with inflammatory bowel
disease. Archives of Surgery, 136(5):
521-527.
Camilleri-Brennan J, Steele RJ (2001). Objective
assessment of quality of life following panproctocolectomy and ileostomy for
ulcerative colitis. Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, 83(5): 321-324.
Thirlby RC, et al. (2001). The long-term benefit of
surgery on health-related quality of life in patients with inflammatory bowel
disease. Archives of Surgery, 136(5):
521-527.
