Split stoma in resectional surgery of high-risk patients with ileocolonic Crohn’s disease

Abstract Aim The aim of this retrospective study of ileocolonic resection in patients with Crohn’s disease was to compare the outcome of primary anastomosis with that of split stoma and delayed anastomosis in a high‐risk setting. Method From 1995 to 2006, 132 patients had 146 operations for ileocolonic Crohn’s disease. Preoperative data, including risk factors for complications, were obtained from a prospectively registered database. Operations on patients who had two or more preoperative risk factors ( n = 76) were considered to be high‐risk operations and formed the main study. Primary outcome variables were postoperative anastomotic complications and the alteration in the number of preoperative risk factors achieved by a delayed anastomosis. Secondary outcome was time in hospital and the number of operations performed. Results Early anastomotic complications were diagnosed in 19% (11/57) of patients receiving a primary anastomosis compared with 0% (0/19) of patients after a delayed anastomosis ( P = 0.038). The mean number of risk factors in the split stoma group was 3.5 at the time of resection and 0.2 when the split stoma was reversed ( P < 0.0001). The total number of operations was 1.9 ± 1.5 (mean ± SD) after a primary anastomosis and 2.0 ± 0.2 after a split stoma ( P = 0.70). Total in‐hospital time for all operations was 20.9 ± 35.6 days after a primary anastomosis and 17.8 ± 10.4 days after a delayed anastomosis ( P = 0.74). Conclusion Delayed anastomosis after ileocolonic resection in high‐risk Crohn’s disease patients was associated with a reduction in the number of preoperative risk factors and fewer anastomotic complications. Hospital stay and number of operations were similar after delayed and primary anastomosis in high‐risk patients.