Previous Intestinal Resection Is Associated with Postoperative Complications in Crohn's Disease: A Cohort Study

Background: To assess the influence of a previous intestinal resection on postoperative complications for Crohn's disease (CD).

Methods: Data on patients with CD undergoing surgery in our department from January 2016 through December 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Information collected included demographic details, surgical data, and postoperative outcome. A cross-sectional study design was employed. Associations between postoperative complications and preoperative clinical indicators were further analyzed.

Results: Of the 129 patients with CD studied, 62 patients (48.06%) underwent previous resection. These patients were more likely to be older (P = 0.031), have longer disease duration (P = 0.025), use less 5-aminosalicylic acid/sulfasalazine preoperatively (P = 0.013), have lower body mass index (P = 0.003), and have a higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Physical Status Classification System score (P = 0.043). Patients who had previous surgery had a longer duration of operation (P = 0.003), greater estimated blood loss (P = 0.001), and longer hospital stay (P < 0.001) and were more inclined to develop postoperative complications (P = 0.047), particularly anastomotic leak (P = 0.021) and severe (Clavien-Dindo grade III/IV) complications (P = 0.038). After multivariate analysis, previous intestinal resection (P = 0.019), preoperative use of steroids (P = 0.026), and ASA score of more than II (P < 0.001) were determined to be the independent prognostic risk factors for postoperative complications. During the 30-day follow-up period, there was no postoperative mortality or readmission.

Conclusions: Previous intestinal resection in patients with CD is an independent predictor of overall postoperative complications.