Can laparoscopic surgery prevent incisional hernia in patients with Crohn's disease: a comparison study of 750 patients undergoing open and laparoscopic bowel resection.

Background: Incisional hernia (IH) is a frequent occurrence following open surgery for Crohn's disease (CD). This study compares the IH rates of patients with CD undergoing open versus laparoscopic bowel resection.

Methods: Seven hundred and fifty patients with CD operated by the authors at the Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, USA, were reviewed from a prospectively maintained surgical database.

Laparoscopy in Crohn's disease.

Crohn's disease represents a challenging operative dilemma. The nature of the disease increases the technical complexity of operations, their morbidity, and the likelihood of multiple operations. In this setting, the advantages of laparoscopic surgery, including shorter hospital stays, less adhesion formation, fewer wound complications, and faster recovery of bowel function, are particularly beneficial to the patient.