Totally robotic intracorporeal side-to-side isoperistaltic strictureplasty for Crohn's disease

Abstract

The development of bowel-sparing techniques (strictureplasties) for extended stricturing Crohn's disease (CD) and the increased use of minimally invasive surgery (wound sparing) represent the two most important improvements in inflammatory bowel disease surgery from the origin. Nevertheless, the minimally invasive approach for extended stricturing forms is usually avoided primarily because of difficulties in performing complex intracorporeal sutures. We describe a totally intracorporeal robotic ileocecal resection with a yet described modified side-to-side isoperistaltic strictureplasty for an extended ileocecal CD. The strictureplasty was 6 cm long including the stricture in its middle part. Adopting this approach, the preserved small bowel was about 10 cm longer. Operative time was about 4 h, with a blood loss of about 50 ml. The patients' post-operative course was uneventful, enteral nutrition started at post-operative day 2 and gradual oral food intake from day 3. She was discharged on post-operative day 6. Histology confirmed a stricturing CD, and the patient is recurrence free at 34 months' follow-up. Our report suggests that robotic-assisted intracorporeal strictureplasty is feasible and that robotics could represent an interesting instrument for allowing the intersection between minimally invasive and bowel-sparing surgery for CD.