Esophagus to Small Intestine
J Crohns Colitis. 2025;19(1):jjae193
Durable remission after ileocolic resection for Crohn’s disease is achievable in selected patients. Long-term results of a prospective multicentric cohort study of the GETAID Chirurgie
Background and aims: Postoperative recurrence requiring medical treatment intensification or redo surgery is common after ileocolic resection (ICR) for Crohn’s disease (CD). This study aimed to identify a subgroup of CD patients for whom ICR could achieve durable remission.
Methods: This retrospective follow-up study analyzed 592 CD patients who underwent ICR (2013–2015) in a nationwide prospective cohort. Patients with > 36 months follow-up were included. Primary outcome was durable remission, defined as the absence of endoscopic recurrence and/or medical treatment intensification. Uni- and multivariate analyses identified predictive factors for durable remission.
Results: Among 268 included patients, 59% had B2 phenotype, 70% had a first ICR, and 66% had postoperative medical treatment. After a median follow-up of 85 (36–104) months, 52 patients (19%) experienced durable remission, of whom 24 (46%) didn’t require medical treatment and 28 (54%) maintained the same postoperative treatment, including anti-tumor necrosis factor in 15 of 28 patients (54%). Surgery could stabilize the disease course in 112 patients (41.7%), including 22.4% endoscopic recurrence that didn’t require CD treatment initiation or intensification. Durable remission rate was significantly increased in B1 phenotype versus B2/B3 (n = 7/18; 39% vs. n = 45/250; 18%, p = 0.030) and in first ICR versus redo ICR (n = 43/184; 23% vs. n = 9/80; 11%, p = 0.023). In multivariate analysis, B1 phenotype was the only independent predictive factor for durable remission (odds ratio = 3.59, 95% confidence interval: 1.13–11.37, p = 0.030).
Conclusions: Surgery for Crohn’s disease achieved durable remission in 20%, rising to 40% in those with a B1 phenotype. These results support surgery as a viable alternative to medical treatment, offering treatment-free durable remission and preserving medical treatment options.