Abstract

Abstract Background Surgical management for patients with inflammatory ileocecal Crohn’s disease (CD) could be a reasonable alternative to second-line medical treatment. Methods A retrospective analysis of patients intervened for primary ileocecal CD with uncomplicated (inflammatory) phenotype at four referral hospitals during 2012-2021 was performed. The objective was to assess short and long-term outcomes of patients operated on for inflammatory, ileocecal CD. Patients operated on due to inflammatory ileocecal CD (last 50 cm of the terminal ileum and cecum), were considered eligible to participate in this study. Operations performed during a 9-year period (2012-2021) were considered for the study. Patients who were operated for CD for advanced structural bowel damage (fibrotic strictures or penetrating phenotype), those who had had previous abdominal CD-related procedures, and patients who had disease activity in other anatomical regions at the time of surgery, were excluded from the study. Results 211 patients were included. 43% of patients underwent surgery more than 5 years after diagnosis, and 49% had been exposed to at least one biologic agent preoperatively. 89% were operated by laparoscopy, with 1.6% conversion rate. The mean length of stay for patients was 5 days, with only 24 patients (11%) requiring a prolonged hospitalization. The complication rate was 23.7% (50 patients), but most complications were minor (Clavien-Dindo < IIIa), with only 11 patients (5%) presenting with major complications. Leak rate for patients who received a primary anastomosis was 2.9%. The median length of the resected bowel was 25 cm (7-92) and three patients (1.43%) received a stoma. Median follow-up was 36 (17-70) months. The endoscopic recurrence-free survival proportion at 24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 months was 56%, 52%, 45%, 38%, and 33%, respectively. The clinical recurrence-free survival proportion at 24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 months was 83%, 79%, 76%, 74%, and 74%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, previous biological treatment (HR=2.01; p=0.001) was associated with a higher risk of overall recurrence. Conclusion In this study, surgery in patients with primary inflammatory ileocecal CD is associated with good postoperative outcomes, low postoperative morbidity with reasonable recurrence rates. Further studies need to validate the present results.

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