Indications, strategy and results of surgical management in 141 cases of Crohn's disease.

Of 200 cases of CD observed in the course of twenty years, 141 (70.5%) have been treated by surgery. At the time of surgery, 6 patients had duodenitis, 87 ileitis, 35 ileocolitis, 9 colitis and 8 proctocolitis. In 4 cases the duodenum and ileum were simultaneously involved. Complications of the disease and failure of medical treatment represented the indications for surgery. Elective surgery was possible in 74.5% of cases. Intestinal resection was performed in all cases except for 6 by-passes (4 for duodenal obstruction) and 3 external derivations (1 ileostomy for perforation, and 2 colostomies: one for colovesical fistula and another for a rectovaginal fistula). Surgical strategy mainly depended on the site, number and extent of lesions, together with complications arising from them. Data from preoperative absorption tests and intraoperative measurements of the small bowel were useful aids in determining whether a resection was to be "radical" or "limited". Overall p.o. mortality was 4.2%. The follow-up (from 2 to 21 years) showed a long-term mortality rate of 5.7%. The rate of recurrences was 55.2%. However surgical management undeniably improved the quality of life, that was in fact good, or fairly good, even in the great majority (81.2%) of patients with recurrences.