Comparison of the Results of Resection, Bypass, and Bypass with Exclusion for Ileocecal Crohn's Disease

Controversy continues regarding the optimal surgical treatment of Crohn's disease involving the ileum and cecum. Over 43-years, 161 patients underwent primary surgery for this disease at The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center. Resection was performed in 115 patients, bypass with exclusion in 25, and side-to-side ileotranverse colostomy in 21. Overall recurrence rates were 25% for resection, 63% for bypass with exclusion, and 75% for simple bypass. Expressed as 15 year follow-up, recurrence rate were 65% for resection, 82% for bypass with exclusion, and 94% for simple bypass. Much of the difference in final outcome was accounted for by early recurrence or by persistent disease in the two bypass groups. This amounted to 21% for the bypass with exclusion and 45% for simple bypass as compared to 3% for patients who had resection. Conclusions from this review are that 1) resection can be performed with a morbidity and mortality equivalent to either of the bypass procedures; 2) the recurrence rat following resection is significantly lower than bypass with exclusion or simple bypass, and amounts to about 4% per year; 3) continuing disease in the bypassed loop accounts for a high percentage of reoperations in the bypass groups, while appearance of new disease is the usual problem following resection; 4) resection is the surgical treatment of choice for ileocecal Crohn's disease.