Colon and rectal surgery for inflammatory bowel disease patients on vedolizumab: Preliminary surgical outcomes

Background and Objectives: Vedolizumab is an antagonist of leukocyte trafficking that targets gut α4β7 integrins and is efficacious in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Studies investigating postoperative complications in patients on this medication have not been performed. The objective of this study is to identify rates and types of postoperative complications experienced in patients with IBD who have undergone surgery following treatment with vedolizumab. Patients and Methods: This was a retrospective review of the electronic medical record of patients with IBD who underwent perianal or abdominal surgery, June 2014–March 2016, at the University of California San Diego Medical Center. Main outcome measures were rates and types of postoperative complications. Results: Patients were divided into three treatment groups: vedolizumab, other biologics, and no biologics. Twenty-nine patients on vedolizumab underwent forty operations that fit study criteria. Fifteen of 26 abdominal operations experienced a postoperative complication, for a complication rate of 57.7%. The most common complication was infectious (34.6%). Anastomotic leak rate was 16.7% and mortality rate was 7.7%. Complication rates in patients on vedolizumab were higher than rates in other patients with IBD. One of 14 perianal operations experienced an infectious complication (7%). Readmission rate in abdominal patients on vedolizumab was higher than the other categories (31% vs. 7% and 10%, P = 0.01). Conclusions: We observed high rates of postoperative complications in patients on vedolizumab who underwent abdominal surgery. Rates were higher than published outcomes as well as outcomes for other IBD patients at our institution. Studies including larger numbers of patients must be performed to further investigate this issue.