Mine was also elective due to dyplasia. However my surgeon wanted me to lose weight before he would cut me (only 10 pounds, but since I was taking 50-60 mg of Prednisone at the time, it was a struggle).
By the time the surgery date finally came, I had deteriorated badly, although I did not feel substantially worse and didn't know how bad things had gotten until I spoke to my surgeon for the first time after surgery. He told me that my colon was dissolving in his hands from the inflammation as he took it out. It's fairly clear that I was maybe weeks away from having toxic megacolon, and if that had occurred it would have been a choice of emergency surgery or death, or perhaps both.
Needless to say I am glad I had surgery when I did. I do not know how often this type of rapid deterioration occurs, but it was about 9 months between the last colonoscopy I had and the surgery. In between, I waffled on the decision because my dysplasia was low grade, and then it took time to get an appointment with my very busy and at that time well known surgeon, then more delays when he told me I had to lose weight, then before you know 9 months had gone by and I am in bad shape but didn't feel any worse than I had during the prior 9 months. I was having a lot of pain and bloody diarrhea all along during that time.