Crohn's disease patients who quit smoking have a reduced risk of reoperation for recurrence

BACKGROUND: Smoking increases the risk of recurrent Crohn's disease (CD). METHODS: We examined the impact of smoking, quitting smoking, and other factors on reoperation for recurrent CD. We distributed questionnaires to 584 patients from a surgical database whom had undergone a surgical operation for ileocecal CD to assess history of smoking, medical, behavioral, and demographic information. RESULTS: Two hundred sixty-seven patients completed the questionnaire (46% response). Smokers were more likely to have undergone 1, 2, and 3 reoperations for recurrence at any site (relative incidence rates [RIR] 1.32, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10 to 1.60; RIR 1.55, 95% CI: 1.09 to 2.20; and RIR 1.77, 95% CI: 1.02 to 3.06, respectively) and were more likely to have undergone one reoperation for recurrent ileocecal CD (RIR 1.48, 95% CI: 1.18 to 1.86). Patients who quit smoking were less likely to have undergone 1, 2, and 3 reoperations for recurrence at any site (RIR 0.25, 95% CI: 0.15 to 0.41; RIR 0.30, 95% CI: 0.16 to 0.57; and RIR 0.25, 95% CI: 0.10 to 0.71, respectively) and were less likely to have undergone one reoperation for recurrent ileocecal CD (RIR 0.27, 95% CI: 0.15 to 0.47). CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that patients with ileocecal CD who stop smoking reduce the risk of reoperation for recurrent CD.