Although confirmation from randomized, controlled trials is required, side-to-side stapled anastomosis seems to substantially decrease anastomotic leak rates in surgical patients with Crohn's disease, compared with handsewn end-to-end anastomosis. Postoperative hospital stay decreased in the stapled anastomosis group, and this was not entirely a result of decreased anastomotic leak rates.

SIBO is a frequent but underestimated condition in CD, which often mimics acute flare, effectively identified with GBT and could be treated with a combined antibiotic and probiotic therapy.

The local accumulation of CD40L+ together with CD40+ cells within intestinal lesions of Crohn's disease suggests the involvement of this co-stimulatory pathway.

Bowel wall thickness >3 mm at ultrasound may be a non-invasive predictor of early surgical recurrence after ileo-colonic resection.

A limited ileocaecal resection is the most frequently performed procedure for ileocaecal CD and different anastomotic configurations and techniques have been described. This manuscript audited the different anastomotic techniques used in a national study and evaluated their influence on postoperative outcomes following ileocaecal resection for primary CD. This is a retrospective, multicentre, observational study promoted by the Italian Society of Colorectal Surgery (SICCR), including all adults undergoing elective ileocaecal resection for primary CD from June 2018 May 2019. Postoperative morbidity within 30 days of surgery was the primary endpoint. Postoperative length of hospital stay (LOS) and anastomotic leak rate were the secondary outcomes. 427 patients were included. The side to side anastomosis was the chosen configuration in 380 patients (89%). The stapled anastomotic (n = 286; 67%), techniques were preferred to hand-sewn (n = 141; 33%). Postoperative morbidity was 20.3% and anastomotic leak 3.7%. Anastomotic leak was independent of the type of anastomosis performed, while was associated with an ASA grade ≥ 3, presence of perianal disease and ileocolonic localization of disease. Four predictors of LOS were identified after multivariate analysis. The laparoscopic approach was the only associated with a reduced LOS (p = 0.017), while age, ASA grade ≥ 3 or administration of preoperative TPN were associated with increased LOS. The side to side was the most commonly used anastomotic configuration for ileocolic reconstruction following primary CD resection. There was no difference in postoperative morbidity according to anastomotic technique and configuration. Anastomotic leak was associated with ASA grade ≥ 3, a penetrating phenotype of disease and ileo-colonic distribution of CD.