Laparoscopic surgery in the treatment of Crohn's disease.
Crohn's disease (CD) is one of the most challenging arenas of intestinal surgery. Many of its pathological features--intense inflammation, a thickened mesentery, enteric fistulae, and skip areas of intestinal involvement--have justifiably deterred surgeons from considering a laparoscopic approach. Nonetheless, most patients who have CD understand that they have a high (70%-90%) probability of needing surgery at some point; thus they are extremely motivated to undergo an operation that could involve minimal scarring and a faster recovery. This article presents current evidence for the use of laparoscopic techniques to manage Crohn's disease are also discussed.
Milsom
Jeffrey W
JW
Section of Colorectal Surgery, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, 525 East 68th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA. jwm2001@med.cornell.edu
D003082:Colectomy / Q000379:methods; D003125:Colostomy / Q000379:methods; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007081:Ileostomy / Q000379:methods; D010535:Laparoscopy; D016737:Proctocolectomy, Restorative / Q000379:methods