Novel side-to-end anastomosis as an alternative in ileocecal Crohn’s disease – an observational study

Crohn's disease (CD) is characterized by periods of remission and recurrence. In patients who have undergone surgery, recurrence most often occurs at the anastomosis site or in the small intestine proximal to the anastomosis. The aim of the study is to evaluate early and long-term results of treatment in patients with ileocecal CD who underwent ileocecal resection and primary side-to-end anastomosis. The study included patients who underwent primary ileocecal resection with the novel side-to-end anastomosis. The study is a retrospective analysis conducted at a single high-volume center. The analysis included a group of 122 patients (71 women, mean age 34±11 years) with ileocecal CD. Anastomotic leakage was found in5 patients (4.0%). The observation period was 79 months (65-90). Surgical recurrence was observed in 5.6% of patients, and endoscopic recurrence in 9.0% of patients. Side-to-end anastomosis after ileocecal resection in patients with CD is safe and associated with a low risk of disease recurrence, even in the long term. In our opinion, the presented anastomosis can be considered in this group of patients. Our study is the first one to describe early and long-term results after this type of anastomosis in patients; however, it needs further prospective comparative studies.