[Crohn disease and laparoscopic surgery]

To evaluate possibilities of laparoscopic surgery in the treatment of Crohn's disease.

A retrospective evaluation of the group of 14 patients, operated on in the period of 2/1997 to 2/2003.

In the group of 7 women and 7 men, laparoscopy was used for ileocecal resection in six cases (43%), resection of ileotransversoanastomosis in four cases (29%) and abdominal-peritoneal amputation of rectum once (7%). The surgical intervention lasted 125 min on the average. The post-operation complications were not recorded and the conversion was not necessary. The post-operation course was complicated by suppuration three times in laparotomy (21%) and once by paralytic ileus (7%), which required one reoperation. The peristaltics was resumed in the 2nd post-operation day on the average, when the patients began to refuse analgesics. The patients started to accept the liquid diet in the 3rd post-operation day on the average and stools appeared on the day 4 after the surgery. The median of post-operation hospitalization in cases of uncomplicated course was 8 days on the average. No patient was lost.

The laparoscopic surgery represents a safe alternative in the therapy of Crohn's disease, being associated with a more favorable post-operation course and a better cosmetic effect in this group of patients with lower age average.