P904 Appendectomy for refractory ulcerative colitis: results of prospective observational study

Abstract

Abstract Background Appendectomy is suggested to improve the course of the disease in many patients with refractory ulcerative colitis (UC). The present prospective observational study demonstrates middle-term outcomes after an appendectomy in 26 patients with refractory UC. Methods Between 5/2022 and 2/2023, 26 selected patients underwent appendectomy for refractory UC. Refractory UC was defined as a failure of at least one biologic therapy. Patients with Dysplasia or Cancer were excluded. The appendectomy was performed without the removal of the cecal base. Primary Endpoint of the study was the Mayo clinical score (MCS) at 6 months after the appendectomy. Secondary Endpoint was the “Treatment failure” which was defined as occurrence of one of the following events during the first 6 months after appendectomy: 1) high-dosed steroid treatment, 2) change of biologic treatment, 3) colectomy. Results Mean age was 35 years (18 to 59 years) and there were 11 female patients. 15 had a pancolitis (58%). Twelve were taking steroids (46%). Median number of biologic therapies taken by patients prior to surgery was 3 (range, 1-5). One patient underwent surgery for sever acute UC. The appendix appeared to be inflamed histologically in 16 patients (62%). Hospital stay was median 2 days, there was one wound infection at the port site and one postoperative hematoma. A significant improvement of disease symptoms was reported by 21 patients during the first 4 weeks (81%). At 6 months, MCS improved from mean 6.4 to 4.5 (p=0.057). Therapy failure was observed in 15 patients (58%) – two underwent colectomy, 11 needed at least one high-dose steroid treatment and biologic therapy was changed due to refractory symptoms in 9 patients. Intake of JAK-inhibitors at the time of appendectomy was the only factor to be associated with lower probability of treatment failure (30% vs. 75%, p=0.043). The only patient undergoing appendectomy for severe acute UC was free of symptoms 14 months after surgery. Conclusion The majority of patients with refractory UC demonstrated rapid clinical response to the appendectomy. After 6 months, more than 40% of patients did not experience disease flares necessitating intensification of treatment.