Surgery is not a cure for Crohn’s disease, but it can help some people achieve a better quality of life.
Many people who have surgery recover well. Others may require further surgery as inflammatory disease sometimes recurs next to the area where surgery has been previously performed.

The aim is to reduce pain, relieve symptoms and conserve as much of the intestine as is possible. In certain cases surgery may be considered a preferred option rather than taking steroids on a regular basis, which can cause side effects.

For many, surgery may lead to a better quality of life.

Many people with Crohn’s disease are likely to require surgery at some stage. Surgery will be considered if symptoms don’t improve with drugs and your condition is difficult to control.

Surgery is used to unblock the intestine. It may also be appropriate management for tears, abscesses caused by infection or internal bleeding.

Surgery may be required to deal with other complications of your disease. It may also be needed if you develop deep ulcers or the protective inner lining of your intestine gets badly damaged or you develop fistulas and infection spreads to other organs.
The decision to perform surgery needs to be balanced to ensure benefits outweigh the risks. It is something that is decided in consultation with your doctor.

Several different types of surgical procedures may be performed, depending on the type of complication, the severity of the illness, or the location of the disease in the intestines.

The most straightforward operation is one carried out to ease a stricture or narrowing of the intestine. The surgeon can make an incision to release the blocked constricted bowel and free the passage of food through the intestine.

Fissures or tears do not usually require surgery, but they can be managed using a minor surgical procedure if it is deemed necessary by your surgeon. An abscess that doesn’t respond to antibiotic treatment can be surgically drained. Fistula channels may require an operation to help them heal.
In another procedure, a section of diseased intestine may be removed and the healthy areas above and below are then reconnected.
In more severe cases most or all of the large intestine is removed in an operation called a colectomy. In this situation the surgeon can immediately restore the bowel by stitching the two ends together. Another option is to create a colostomy. This leaves stoma and a pouch.

There are always risks, such as internal bleeding or an infection after an operation. Your surgeon will be aware of these dangers and know how to treat them.

After surgery to remove a stricture or a part of your intestines you may end up with scarring that causes problems with narrowing or strictures later on. This may require further surgery.