An International, Multicenter, Prospective, Observational Study of the Side-to-Side Isoperistaltic Strictureplasty in Crohn's Disease

Abstract

The side-to-side strictureplasty is a bowel-sparing alternative to resection in the treatment of stricturing Crohn's disease. This study was initiated to review the adoption of the side-to-side strictureplasty as a new surgical technique and the relative outcomes a decade after its description. A total of 184 unique patients from six centers in the United States, Italy, and Japan served as the basis for this study. A questionnaire instrument was used to assemble prospectively acquired preoperative, intraoperative, perioperative, and postoperative data from each center into a computer-generated database. Average age at surgery for patients selected for a side-to-side strictureplasty varied significantly between centers (minimum, 31.0 years; maximum, 39.5 years,PConclusions: Worldwide implementation of the side-to-side strictureplasty technique and its variations has occurred. This procedure carries a very low mortality and morbidity rate, with acceptable recurrence rates.