Inflammatory bowel diseases

Inflammatory bowel diseases encompasse two related but distinctdisorders of as yet unknown aetiology. Crohn’s disease is a chronic,idiopathic, transmural inflammation that can affect one or several segmentsof the digestive tract. Ulcerative colitis is a chronic idiopathicinflammation of the rectum extending continuously over a variable lengthof the colon from the distal end to the proximal end. Indeterminate colitisis reserved for cases of colitis for which findings are not sufficient to allowdifferentiation between crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (Bhupinderet al., 2010).The medical therapy of inflammatory bowel disease is a complexand challenging area that requires close collaboration between the patient,gastroenterologist and surgeon. (Stephen et al., 2007).Despite advances in medical treatment, most patients who haveinflammatory bowel disease need surgery at some point during the courseof their disease. Surgery is currently indicated for intractable disease andcomplications of the disease (strictures, abscesses, fistulas, hemorrhage).There is increasing interest in non surgical and minimal access strategies ofdealing with complicated disease. These new approaches may enablepostponement of surgery to a more favorable time, or conversion of a twostageprocedure involving a stoma to a one-stage resection withanastomosis. A