# Surgery time for stenosed Crohn's disease: Case report

## TL;DR

A 35-year-old man with Crohn's disease and a long intestinal stricture underwent surgery after medical treatment failed, showing the importance of timely surgical intervention.

## Contribution

This case report highlights the effectiveness of surgical resection and side-to-side stapled anastomosis in managing stenosed bowel segments in Crohn's disease.

## Key findings

- MR enterography effectively diagnosed a 6-cm kinked ileal stricture in a Crohn's disease patient.
- Surgical resection with side-to-side stapled anastomosis led to a smooth recovery and improvement in the patient's condition.
- Failed medical treatment necessitated surgical intervention for subacute intestinal obstruction caused by Crohn's disease.

## Abstract

Stricture formation is a well-known Crohn's disease consequence that usually results from recurrent cycles of inflammation and healing and primarily affects the small intestine.

In this report, we describe the case of a 35-year-old male with an 18-year history of Crohn's disease complicated by long-kinked ileal stricture who presented with a 3-month history of subacute small intestinal obstruction diagnosed with MR enterography and underwent failed medical treatment.

The patient, a male showing signs of wasting due to a prolonged subacute small intestinal obstruction, underwent an MR enterography which revealed a 6-cm kinked ileal stricture. Intraoperative observations included a significantly dilated small intestine proximal to the stricture and a collapsed distal small bowel. Following resection, the patient experienced a smooth recovery with marked improvement.

When there are clear indications for the surgical resection of a stenosed bowel segment caused by Crohn's disease, it is advisable to proceed with the surgery promptly, with a preference for side-to-side stapled anastomosis.

•A 35-year-old male has been experiencing subacute small intestinal obstruction, following an 18-year history of Crohn's disease.•MRI enterography is the preferred diagnostic method for defining the characteristics of a stricture.•Failure of medical treatment should prompt endoscopic or surgical intervention.•When medical treatment fails, it should prompt consideration of endoscopic or surgical intervention.

A 35-year-old male has been experiencing subacute small intestinal obstruction, following an 18-year history of Crohn's disease.

MRI enterography is the preferred diagnostic method for defining the characteristics of a stricture.

Failure of medical treatment should prompt endoscopic or surgical intervention.

When medical treatment fails, it should prompt consideration of endoscopic or surgical intervention.