Laparoscopic-assisted bowel resection offers advantages over open surgery for treatment of segmental Crohn's disease in children.
OBJECTIVE
Minimally invasive approaches have been shown to decrease hospital length of stay (LOS), decrease postoperative pain, and speed return to normal activity for a number of intraabdominal procedures. In this study, laparoscopic (LAP)-assisted bowel resection is compared with an open technique for patients undergoing an initial bowel resection.


METHODS
A retrospective review was conducted of 28 patients (12 LAP, 16 open) undergoing initial bowel resection for segmental Crohn's disease.


RESULTS
Patients in the LAP group had decrease LOS (5.5 days v 11.5 days) decreased days of parenteral narcotics (3 days v 5 days) and more rapid return to regular diet (3 days v 5 days).


CONCLUSIONS
The data suggest that the laparoscopic approach may offer advantages to pediatric patients undergoing an initial bowel resection for segmental Crohn's disease.
von Allmen
Daniel
D
Department of General, Thoracic and Fetal Surgery, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Markowitz
Jonathan E
JE
York
Amy
A
Mamula
Petar
P
Shepanski
Melissa
M
Baldassano
Robert
R
D000293:Adolescent; D002429:Cecal Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007079:Ileitis / Q000601:surgery; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007902:Length of Stay; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome