The association of cigarette smoking with a high risk of recurrence after ileocolonic resection for ileocecal Crohn's disease

The purpose of this retrospective study was to examine the influence of cig arette smoking on the recurrence of Crohn's disease after resection. Betwee n 1975 and 1990, 141 patients underwent primary ileocolonic resection for i leocecal Crohn's disease, 79 of whom were nonsmokers and 62 of whom were sm okers at the time of their operation. The 5- and 10-year cumulative recurre nce-free rates were 65% and 45% for the smokers, and 81% and 64% for the no nsmokers, the former values being significantly lower than the latter value s (P = 0.007). The smokers were further divided into two subgroups accordin g to the number of cigarettes smoked per day; as mild smokers who smoked fe wer than 15 per day (n = 31) and heavy smokers who smoked 15 or more per da y (n = 31), The cumulative recurrence-free rate was lower in the heavy smok ers compared with the mild smokers. These findings strongly suggest that sm oking is associated with a high recurrence rate after ileocolonic resection for ileocecal Crohn's disease.