LAPAROSCOPIC RESECTIONS FOR CROHNS-DISEAS E

39 patients with Crohn's disease unterwent laparoscopic bowel resectio ns during January 1993 to May 1995 (16 female, 23 male, with an averag e age of 33 years). The duration of the disease ranged from one to 18 years. 21 of the 39 patients were under steroid therapy at the time of operation. Seven patients have had ileocaecal resection for Crohn's d isease. The operative technique is laparoscopically assisted. We perfo rmed: small bowel resections (8), ileocaecal resections (16), hemicole ctomies (11), subtotal colectomies (2), colectomies (2). Operative tim e ranged from 90 to 280 min for ileocaecal resections and from 330 to 420 min for colectomies. Intraoperative complications were not encount ered. Postoperatively one patient developed a subhepatic abscess which was drained under sonographic guidance on day 6. One patient was reop erated for a different disease on postoperative day 2. Two patients ha d fever till day 9 and 13 without clinical relevance. Two patients had delayed incision site healing. Postoperative clinical stay was 11 day s. The main benefit for the patients was early mobilisation due to red uced pain. Patients experienced the small abdominal incision as a ray of hope in their chronic disease.