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Updated: Aug 27, 2025

Murine Ileocolic Bowel Resection with Primary Anastomosis
Published on: October 29, 2014
Disease recurrence in patients with Crohn's disease after biologic therapy or surgery: a meta-analysis
Sarah Kneißl1, Johannes Stallhofer1, Peter Schlattmann2
1Department of Internal Medicine IV (Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Infectious Diseases), Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany.
Background:
Relapse is a problem in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) after medical therapy (including biologics) and after surgery to treat acute inflammation. It is unclear whether the recurrence rate over time is higher after surgical therapy than after continuous drug treatment.
Aim:
We sought to compare clinical relapse rates and the need for re-interventions (resection or therapeutic endoscopic intervention) in patients with CD.
Methods:
A meta-analysis was performed according to PRISMA guidelines.
Results:
The need for one of the three re-interventions (surgery, biologics or both) increased over time. The recurrence rates in patients after ileocecal resection were lower than the rates under biologic therapy. The odds ratio for clinical recurrence under biologics versus after surgical treatment was 2.50 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.53-4.08, p-value < 0.001). The odds ratio for surgical recurrence under biologics versus after surgery was 3.60 (95% CI 1.06-12.3, p-value 0.041).
Conclusion:
These findings support surgical resection as a treatment option in patients with CD with limited disease.
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