Disease course and treatment outcomes of Crohn's disease patients with early or late surgery – A Danish nationwide cohort study from 1997 to 2015

Studies on early surgery among Crohn's disease patients are few and focus on ileocolonic resections. The aim of this nationwide cohort study was to investigate the disease course in all Crohn's disease patients who underwent early and late major abdominal surgery. In a Danish nationwide cohort of Crohn's disease patients from 1997 to 2015 we included 493 patients (group 1) resected within 29 days, 472 patients (group 2) resected between 30 and 180 days, and 1,518 patients (group 3) resected after 180 days of diagnosis. Re-operation, hospitalisations and medications were analysed. The cumulative risk of re-operation was lower among patients from group 1 (five-year risk: 16.5% vs. group 2: 18.2% and group 3: 21.2%, p = 0.004). Fewer patients from group 2 and 3 required hospitalisations (269 (56.5%) and 803 (52.8%) vs. group 1: 329 (66.8%) p