ABSTRACT
The use of laparoscopy in the treatment of Crohn's disease (CD) is technically challenging
and has not gained wide acceptance among surgeons. To date, controlled studies examining
the role of laparoscopy in this disease using large numbers of patients have been
lacking, and the first controlled, randomized trial examining the use of laparoscopy
in primary ileal or ileocolic CD has only recently been published. The favorable results
of this study, together with the increasing overall experience with this procedure
will likely lead to an expansion in the use of laparoscopy in the treatment of CD.
Even complex cases of CD have been successfully treated using laparoscopic methods.
In this artile, we will address the controversial issues of this approach, discuss
technical aspects, and introduce the existing evidence examining the role of laparoscopy
in the treatment of CD.
KEYWORD
Laparoscopy - Crohn's disease - fistulas
