Which procedure is listed as a surgical option for ulcerative colitis?

• A. Proctocolectomy
• B. Appendectomy
• C. Gastric bypass
• D. Colectomy with ileostomy

Answer: (A)

Removing the diseased tissue completely is the goal when ulcerative colitis doesn’t respond to medical therapy. Proctocolectomy achieves this by taking out both the colon and the rectum, which are the areas affected by UC, and is often followed by an ileostomy or creation of a pouch with reconnection to the anus. Because it removes all the tissue that can harbor inflammation, it’s the definitive surgical option for UC.

The other procedures don’t address the disease in the same way: removing the appendix doesn’t treat colitis; gastric bypass is unrelated to inflammatory bowel disease; removing only the colon but leaving the rectum (colectomy with ileostomy) leaves potential disease in the remaining rectal tissue, so it isn’t as complete a surgical solution for UC.