Biological Treatment and the Potential Risk of Adverse Postoperative Outcome in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: An Open-Source Expert Panel Review of the Current Literature and Future Perspectives

Abstract Background There is widespread concern that treatment with biologic agents may be associated with suboptimal postoperative outcome after surgery for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Aim We aimed to search and analyze the literature regarding the potential association of biologic treatment on adverse postoperative outcome in patients with IBD. We used the subject as a case in point for surgical research. The aim was not to conduct a new systematic review. Method This is an updated narrative review written in a collaborative method by authors invited through Twitter via the following hashtags (#OpenSourceResearch and #SoMe4Surgery). The manuscript was presented as slides on Twitter to allow discussion of each section of the paper sequentially. A Google document was created, which was shared across social media, and comments and edits were verified by the primary author to ensure accuracy and consistency. Results Forty-one collaborators responded to the invitation, and a total of 106 studies were identified that investigated the potential association of preoperative biological treatment on postoperative outcome in patients with IBD. Most of these studies were retrospective observational cohorts: 3 were prospective, 4 experimental, and 3 population-based studies. These studies were previously analyzed in 10 systematic/narrative reviews and 14 meta-analyses. Type of biologic agents, dose, drug concentration, antidrug antibodies, interval between last dose, and types of surgery varied widely among the studies. Adjustment for confounders and bias control ranged from good to very poor. Only 10 studies reported postoperative outcome according to Clavien–Dindo classification. Conclusion Although a large number of studies investigated the potential effect of biological treatment on postoperative outcomes, many reported divergent results. There is a need for randomized controlled trials. Future studies should focus on the avoiding the weakness of prior studies we identified. Seeking collaborators and sharing information via Twitter was integral to widening the contributors/authors and peer review for this article and was an effective method of collaboration

Minimally invasive surgery for Inflammatory Bowel Disease:a systematic review and meta-analysis of robotic versus laparoscopic surgical techniques

Background: We aimed to evaluate outcomes of robotic versus conventional laparoscopic colorectal resections in patients with inflammatorybowel disease [IBD].Methods: Comparative studies of robotic versus laparoscopic colorectal resections in patients with IBD were included. The primary outcomewas total post-operative complication rate. Secondary outcomes included operative time, conversion to open surgery, anastomotic leaks,intra-abdominal abscess formation, ileus occurrence, surgical site infection, re-operation, re-admission rate, length of hospital stay, and 30-daymortality. Combined overall effect sizes were calculated using a random-effects model and the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale was used to assessrisk of bias.Results: Eleven non-randomized studies [n = 5566 patients] divided between those undergoing robotic [n = 365] and conventional laparoscopic[n = 5201] surgery were included. Robotic platforms were associated with a significantly lower overall post-operative complication rate com-pared with laparoscopic surgery [p = 0.03]. Laparoscopic surgery was associated with a significantly shorter operative time [p = 0.00001]. Nodifference was found in conversion rates to open surgery [p = 0.15], anastomotic leaks [p = 0.84], abscess formation [p = 0.21], paralytic ileus[p = 0.06], surgical site infections [p = 0.78], re-operation [p = 0.26], re-admission rate [p = 0.48], and 30-day mortality [p = 1.00] between thegroups. Length of hospital stay was shorter following a robotic sub-total colectomy compared with conventional laparoscopy [p = 0.03].Conclusion: Outcomes in the surgical management of IBD are comparable between traditional laparoscopic techniques and robotic-assistedminimally invasive surgery, demonstrating the safety and feasibility of robotic platforms. Larger studies investigating the use of robotic tech-nology in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis separately may be of benefit with a specific focus on important IBD-related metrics.</p