Laparoscopic surgery for complex Crohn's disease

In primary Crohn's disease (CD), laparoscopic ileocolic resection has been shown to be both feasible and safe, and is associated with improved outcomes in terms of postoperative morbidity and length of hospital stay. At this time, it is unclear whether the laparoscopic approach can be routinely proposed as a safe procedure for patients with complex CD involving localized abscess, fistula or recurrent disease. The aim of this systematic literature review was to assess the feasibility and safety of laparoscopic surgery for complex or recurrent CD. In the current literature, there are nine non-randomized cohort studies, two of which were case-matched. The mean rate of conversion to open laparotomy reported in these series ranged from 7% to 42%. Morbidity rate and hospital stay following laparoscopic resection for complex CD were similar to those for initial resection or for non-complex CD. In summary, even though strong evidence is lacking and more contributions with larger size are needed, the limited experiences available from the literature confirm that the laparoscopic approach for complex CD is both feasible and safe in the hands of experienced IBD surgeons with extensive expertise in laparoscopic surgery. Further studies are required to confirm these results and determine precisely patient selection criteria.