Laparoscopic surgery in the treatment of Crohn's disease.

Overview

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.