title: Laparoscopic-assisted bowel resection offers advantages over open surgery for treatment of segmental Crohn's disease in children.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of General, Thoracic and Fetal Surgery, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: von Allmen
authors.forename: Jonathan E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Markowitz
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: York
authors.forename: Petar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mamula
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shepanski
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Baldassano
mesh_terms: 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