Common Surgeries for Crohn’s
Crohn’s can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract, but the small intestine and colon are most typically affected. Different surgical procedures for Crohn’s exist, depending on the complication you’re having, where it’s located, and the severity of your disease.
Surgical options for Crohn’s include the following.
Strictureplasty
Over time, chronic inflammation from Crohn’s can scar your intestines, causing a stricture.
If this narrowing of the intestine occurs in one of the lower sections of your small intestine (the jejunum or ileum), your doctor may recommend a strictureplasty, which involves cutting open the narrowed segment of bowel and stitching the tissue crosswise to widen it.
None of the intestine is removed, which potentially lowers the risk for short bowel syndrome, Regueiro says.
Fistulotomy
Not all fistulas will need to be treated. But if they do, and antibiotics or other Crohn’s medications don’t resolve the problem, you may need this surgery to drain the infection and stop it from spreading.
Small- or Large-Bowel Resection
In a small- or large-bowel resection, the diseased section of the bowel is cut out and the healthy ends are reattached. If the procedure takes place in the small intestine, it’s known as a small-bowel resection. Large-bowel resections take place in the large intestine.
This procedure, which is used to treat strictures and bowel perforations, is the most common surgery for Crohn’s disease, Regueiro says.
Colectomy and Proctocolectomy
Concern over having to live with an ostomy bag is normal, but after you adjust to it, you can resume your normal activities, and other people won’t know unless you choose to tell them.
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