The Future of Surgical Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

1Department of Surgery, Section of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA 2Peter and Marshia Carlino Chair in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Professor of Surgery, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, 17033-0850, USA Editor's Note:Diseases of the Colon & Rectum marks its 50th birthday in 2008. To commemorate this occasion, we have commissioned a series of articles that focus on key areas in colon and rectal surgery. We have asked the authors not to review the accomplishments of the past half-century, nor to provide the current status of their field, but rather to try to envision its evolution over the next half-century. Thus, you as readers should expect articles that are less heavily endnoted, lighter in tone, and substantially more conjectural than our usual fare. We hope that you will find these forward-looking articles to be both thought-provoking and enjoyable. — Robert D. Madoff, M.D. Editor-in-Chief a Phone: +1-717-5315164; Fax: +1-717-5310646; e-mail: [email protected]