Inflammatory bowel disease

• Authorization should be obtained prior to surgery and will be done by the hospital or the rooms staff depending on whether you are an in- or outpatient.

• Make sure that you have been fasting for solid foods for at least 6 hours prior to your surgery and for clear liquids or water for at least 2 hours prior to your surgery. Discuss your chronic medications with your doctor or hospital staff prior to your surgery as you usually are allowed to take chronic medications the day of surgery, barring diabetic medication the day of the procedure. If you are taking any blood thinning medication please discuss these in detail with your doctor as special arrangements need to be made for these.

• Colonoscopy requires bowel preparation

Colonoscopy is usually performed under sedation. You will be monitored throughout the procedure. Recovery staff will observe you until the sedation wears off  

For surgery, you will be admitted to hospital and taken to theatre for the planned procedure. After surgery, you will be monitored in recovery and then transferred to the ward. You may have intravenous fluids, drains, a catheter, or a stoma depending on the surgery performed.

Most patients with IBD are managed with medication, but surgery may be required if there is severe disease, bowel obstruction, perforation, abscess formation, fistulas, uncontrolled bleeding, or failure of medical treatment.

Surgery depends on the type and extent of disease and may include colonoscopy for biopsy and diagnosis;  removal of the affected bowel segment; drainage of abscesses; repair of fistulas, or creation of a temporary or permanent stoma.

Surgery usually takes 2–4 hours, depending on the extent of disease and the procedure required.  Colonoscopy usually takes 30 minutes

• Possible complications include bleeding, infection, anastomotic leak, bowel obstruction, abscess formation, fistula formation, delayed wound healing, stoma-related complications, recurrence of disease, and unintended damage to surrounding structures.

• Hospital stay is usually 5–10 days, depending on the type of surgery, bowel function recovery, wound healing, and whether complications occur.

• Colonoscopy varies from outpatient procedure to day case admission