Risk factors for postoperative complications after elective ileocolic resection for Crohn’s disease: a retrospective study

BACKGROUND: The incidence of postoperative complications (POC) in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) who undergo intestinal resection is high. The literature provides conflicting data about the risk factors for POC, especially regarding preoperative immunosuppressive medications. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) agents on the postoperative course and identify other predictors for POC after ileocolic resection (ICR). METHODS: This was a single-center retrospective study that included 153 CD patients who underwent elective ICR in a Greek tertiary center between January 2010 and December 2018. Risk factors for overall POC and intra-abdominal septic complications (IASC) were assessed with univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Overall POC and IASC occurred in 35 (22.9%) and 19 (12.4%) patients, respectively. In multivariate analysis, anti-TNF agents (n=61), as either monotherapy or combination treatment, were not associated with an increased risk for overall POC (21.3% vs. 23.9%, P=0.71) or IASC (13.1% vs. 12.0%, P=0.83). Similarly, no combined immunosuppressive regimen significantly correlated with POC. Patients with perianal disease, disease duration >10 years, or previous intestinal resections had significantly higher rates of both overall POC and IASC. In multivariate analysis, previous resection was the only independent risk factor for overall POC (odds ratio [OR] 3.90, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.38-11.06; P=0.010) and IASC (OR 4.56, 95%CI 1.51-13.77; P=0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative administration of anti-TNF agents or other immunosuppressive regimens was not a risk factor for total POC or IASC. A history of previous resection independently correlated with both overall POC and IASC.