Resectional surgery for intestinal strictures: What is state of the art?

Abstract

Novel scientific insights and our progressing experience have enlarged the armamentarium of surgical treatment options for Crohn’s disease. It has become daily clinical practice to be able to choose between medical or surgical treatment. The natural course of Crohn’s disease often results in fibrosis and strictures. Despite the improvement of medical therapy for Crohn’s disease, to date no medical therapy for strictures exist. Those patients are destined to dilatation for short strictures but otherwise undergo stricturoplasty or resectional surgery. This chapter will focus on the technical aspects of resections for stricturing disease, discussing indications for surgery, the surgical approach and results of surgery.