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Clin Colon Rectal Surg
DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1786376
Review Article

Bowel Resection Margins in Crohn's Disease: Do They Matter?

Beatrix Choi
1   Department of Surgery, NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
,
David Cohen
1   Department of Surgery, NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
,
David M. Schwartzberg
2   Division of Colorectal Surgery, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center, NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
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Abstract

Many patients with Crohn's disease (CD) will ultimately require surgical intervention for refractory disease despite recognizing that surgery does not cure CD. The initial operation, primarily for ileocolic disease, is focused on resecting the offending pathology and ideally providing a reduced likelihood for subsequent operations and additional bowel loss through surgical techniques. The appropriate margin, macro- vs. microscopic, lays in balance to provide an adequate resection that minimizes bowel loss, compared to an extensive resection which ensures a thorough resection but inherently includes the loss of normal bowel in attempts to reduce recurrent symptomatic disease. Ensuring the appropriately timed operation, performed in optimal conditions, with apt mesenteric resections and an ideal anastomotic configuration are all only part of the equation, as bowel margins play an important role in limiting surgical recurrence and maintaining bowel length. A grossly normal margin assessed by the lack of serositis and the mesenteric “pinch test” can result in an appropriate margin without sacrificing normal bowel in this group of patients who are at risk of further bowel loss from CD recurrence.

Keywords

Crohn's disease - Crohn's surgery - resection - bowel margin - recurrence - preoperative assessment


Publication History

Article published online:
25 April 2024

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