Surgical outcomes in ileal Crohn's disease complicated by ileosigmoid fistula

Abstract Background The management of Crohn's disease (CD) complicated by ileosigmoid fistula (ISF) remains a challenge, and Australian outcomes have not previously been reported. Methods A retrospective review of a tertiary colorectal inflammatory bowel disease unit, across public and private sites, from 2005 to 2023 to identify adult patients having undergone operative management of ISF. Results Twenty‐nine patients underwent surgery for ISF in the study period. Seventeen were male and the median age was 40 years. The pre‐operative diagnosis of ISF was made in 76%, and patients were more likely to undergo resectional surgery if the pre‐operative diagnosis was made endoscopically. Sixty‐nine percent of cases were performed electively, with 76% completed laparoscopically with an 18.5% conversion rate to an open approach. The ISF was oversewn in three patients, repaired primarily in 14 patients, managed with segmental wedge resection in eight patients and resected via an anterior resection in four patients. The rate of stoma formation at the index procedure was 20.7% overall and 22% in patients being acutely managed with steroids. Emergent cases were more likely to be defunctioned with a stoma. Morbidity was 17.2% with a single anastomotic leak. Conclusion ISF in CD remains difficult to diagnose pre‐operatively, but can be safely managed laparoscopically without formal resection, and with limited use of diverting stoma formation. The specific surgical approach to the sigmoid in ISF is difficult to pre‐determine and often requires decisions to be made intra‐operatively.