IBS Is Associated with Higher Surgical Rates

Individuals with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) reportedly undergo disportionately high rates of abdominal and pelvic surgery. The relationship between IBS and higher rates of surgery, however, is not clear.

In the June 2004 issue of Gastroenterology, George L. Longstreth, MD, and Janis F. Yao, MS, report the findings of their stepwise logistic analysis of self-completed data from 89,008 health examinees in the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Plan that assessed 6 surgeries (peptic ulcer surgery, coronary heart surgery, and the 4 surgeries listed below) as outcomes. Results showed that IBS was associated with cholecystectomy (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 2.09; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.89?2.31; P < .0001), appendectomy (OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.33?1.56; P < .0001), hysterectomy (OR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.55?1.87; P < .0001), and back surgery (OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.05?1.53; P = .0084). The authors conclude that health examinees with physician-diagnosed IBS report higher rates of cholecystectomy (3-fold higher), appendectomy (2-fold higher), hysterectomy (2-fold higher), and back surgery (50% higher) than do examinees without IBS.