Abstract Background Postoperative small bowel fistula is one of the most detrimental complications in abdominal surgery. Patients with Crohn’s disease seem to be at higher risk. Performing small bowel surgery in patients with previous extended colectomy, surgeons face diffuse small bowel adhesions. Moreover, patients with small bowel disease after previous (total) colectomy pose one of the most vulnerable populations. Present analysis was conducted in order to analyze the incidence of small bowel fistula following abdominal surgery in Crohn’s disease patients. Methods Consecutive patients with Crohn’s disease undergoing intestinal resection between 1992 and 2024 were included in current analysis using a prospectively maintained database. “Small bowel fistula” was defined as any small bowel perforation away from any anastomoses, strictureplasties or any other kind of small bowel sutures. “Previous extended colectomies” were total abdominal colectomies or proctocolectomies in patients’ history prior to the current surgery. Results 973 patients undergoing 1096 bowel resections were included. There were 804 ileocolic resections, 254 colonic resections and 38 other resections (small bowel resection, ileostomy resections, pouch excisions and abdominoperineal resections). Postoperative intraabdominal septic complications occurred in 162 patients (15%), 8 patients died (0.7%). Postoperative small bowel fistula occurred in 9 patients (0.8%). 52 patients attended current surgery with a history of previous (procto-)colectomy. Current surgery consisted of 13 resections of ileosigmoid or ileorectal anastomoses, 12 ileostomy resections, 10 abdominoperineal resections, 9 small bowel resections, 5 J-Pouch excisions, 1 Kock pouch excisions, 1 Redo-Pouch and 1 IPAA in the study population. 10 of 52 patients (19%) with a history of previous extended colectomy underwent laparoscopic surgery with one patient converted to open. The history of previous extended colectomy was the only factor associated with an increased risk of postoperative small bowel fistula by a multivariate analysis (7.7% vs. 0.5%, Hazard ratio 7.1, p<0.001) but not for all intraabdominal septic complications (15% in both groups). The risk of postoperative small bowel fistula was not increased in patients with a history of any other previous intestinal resection than extended colectomy. Conclusion Crohn’s disease patients with a history of previous total colectomy or proctocolectomy are at a particularly high risk of postoperative small bowel fistula when they undergo further surgeries. Surgeons must be aware of this complication in cases of unexpected postoperative symptoms.
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