INCIDENCE OF SURGICAL RESECTION FOR CROHNS-DISEASE

One hundred fifty-two of 399 Crohn's patients (38 percent) diagnosed o ver 20 years, who lived within a geographically defined area at the ti me of diagnosis, underwent at least one operation. One hundred seventy -one resections were performed in 160 operations during a mean follow- up of 60 months. Forty-eight percent of patients had undergone their f irst resection within 10 years of diagnosis, and 39 percent of these h ad undergone a second resection within 10 years of the first. There wa s no difference between smokers and nonsmokers in the timing of their surgery.