Early colectomy in severe ulcerative colitis.

Before 1 February 1967 patients with severe attacks of ulcerative colitis were usually operated on after a prolonged period of medical treatment, and the mortality was 22%. During a 7-year period, beginning 1 February 1967, early colectomy has been perfomed in 21 patients with toxic megacolon and 58 patients with fulminating colitis. Immediate mortality in these 79 patients was 1.2% (one death). Two more patients died in connection with secondary operations. Thus the overall operative mortality in the present series was 3.7%.