Laparoscopic-assisted bowel resection offers advantages over open surgery for treatment of segmental Crohn's disease in children.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Minimally invasive approaches have been shown to decrease hospital length of stay (LOS), decrease postoperative pain, and speed return to normal activity for a number of intraabdominal procedures. In this study, laparoscopic (LAP)-assisted bowel resection is compared with an open technique for patients undergoing an initial bowel resection.

METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted of 28 patients (12 LAP, 16 open) undergoing initial bowel resection for segmental Crohn's disease.

RESULTS: Patients in the LAP group had decrease LOS (5.5 days v 11.5 days) decreased days of parenteral narcotics (3 days v 5 days) and more rapid return to regular diet (3 days v 5 days).

CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that the laparoscopic approach may offer advantages to pediatric patients undergoing an initial bowel resection for segmental Crohn's disease.