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World J Gastroenterol. Apr 28, 2013; 19(16): 2445-2448
Published online Apr 28, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i16.2445
Published online Apr 28, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i16.2445
Surgery for inflammatory bowel disease in the era of laparoscopy
Giuseppe S Sica, Livia Biancone, GastroIntestinal Surgical Unit, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 00133 Rome, Italy
Author contributions: Sica GS and Biancone L gave substantial contributions to conception and design, acquisition, analysis and interpretation of data; Sica GS wrote the manuscript and Biancone L revised critically for important intellectual content; both authors gave their final approval of the version to be published.
Correspondence to: Giuseppe S Sica, MD, PhD, Gastrointestinal Surgical Unit, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy. sigisica@gmail.com
Telephone: +39-620-9083596 Fax: +39-620-902926
Received: September 19, 2012
Revised: March 18, 2013
Accepted: March 21, 2013
Published online: April 28, 2013
Revised: March 18, 2013
Accepted: March 21, 2013
Published online: April 28, 2013
Core Tip
Core tip: The clinical management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients has dramatically changed in the last decades and primary, secondary and even tertiary levels of medical treatment are available to treat both Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. However, it should be recognized that surgical approaches have also changed, for the better, in the last few years and that minimally invasive surgery is now available in most centers. The timing of surgery is a key issue for proper management of IBD patients. Laparoscopic surgery should be seen as less aggressive than the standard surgical approach and could lower the threshold for surgical intervention.