This study is looking at the use of keyhole surgery for patients who have inflammatory bowel disease, including both Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis. There are two types of keyhole surgeries: laparoscopic and robotic surgery. In laparoscopic surgery, the surgeon inserts instruments through small incisions and will move these instruments themselves to do the operation. In robotic surgery, these instruments are inserted through similar small incisions, but they are mounted onto robotic arms. The surgeon sits away from the patient and uses remote equipment to move the robotic arms and do the operation. In current practice the surgeon will decide to use either robotic or laparoscopic equipment for your surgery. Robotic surgery is becoming more popular and may help the surgeon carry out more challenging operations with small incisions.
Most of the studies that have looked at robotic surgery have focussed on cancer operations. Only a few studies have been done in patients with inflammatory bowel disease where the surgery can be difficult and unpredictable. There is also very little information available on:
- If all patients with inflammatory bowel disease can have robotic surgery
- How robotic surgery affects a patient’s recovery.
This study is designed to record all keyhole procedures performed in multiple different hospitals for inflammatory bowel disease over a 12-month period. The details of the operation and how patients recover after the surgery will be recorded.