Free perforation in Crohn's disease
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Updated: Sep 26, 2026
An Intravital Microscopy-Based Approach to Assess Intestinal Permeability and Epithelial Cell Shedding Performance
Published on: December 3, 2020
Nahum Werbin1, Riad Haddad, Ron Greenberg
1Department of Surgery A, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Background:
Free bowel perforation is one of the indications for emergency surgery in Crohn's disease. It is generally accepted that 1-3% of patients with Crohn's disease will present with a free perforation initially or eventually in their disease course.
Objectives:
To evaluate the incidence and treatment results of free perforation in patients with Crohn's disease and, based on our experience, to suggest recommendations.
Methods:
Between 1987 and 1996, 160 patients with Crohn's disease were treated in our department and were followed for a mean period of 5 years.
Results:
Of the 83 patients (52%) requiring surgical intervention, 13 (15.6%) were operated due to free perforation. The mean age of the perforated CD was 33 +/- 12 years and the mean duration of symptoms prior to surgery was 6 years. The location of the free perforation was the terminal ileum in 10 patients, the mid-ileum in 2 patients, and the left colon in 1 patient. Surgical treatment included 10 ileocecectomies, 2 segmental resections of small bowel, and resection of left colon with transverse colostomy and mucus fistula in one patient. There was no operative mortality. Postoperative hospital stay was 21 +/- 12 days (range 8-55 days). All patients were followed for 10-120 months (mean 58.0 +/- 36.7). Six patients (42%) required a second operation during the follow-up period.
Conclusion:
The incidence of free perforation in Crohn's disease in our experience was 15.6%. We raise the question whether surgery should be offered earlier to Crohn's disease patients in order to lower the incidence of free perforation.
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