Table 1 Summary of included studies: NR non-randomized, RCT randomized control trial, IC Ileocecal, PO perioperative complications, LT long term outcomes, ^a Median displayed

Alabaz et al. 2000 [10]

74

NR

CD patients

IC resection

PO, LT

Study mean = 30

Allesandroni 2010 [11]

200

NR

CD patients

IC resection

PO, LT

Lap = 52; Open = 60

Bemelman et al. 2000 [12]

78

NR

CD patients

IC resection

PO

Benoist et al. 2003 [13]

56

NR

CD patients

IC resection

PO

Cases and controls matched

Bergamaschi et al. 2003 [14]

92

NR

CD patients

IC resection

PO, LT

Lap = 60; Open = 60

Broquet et al. 2010 [15]

62

NR

CD patients

IC resection

PO

Patients with at least 1 previous resection

Courtney et al. 2011 [16]

13

NR

Adolescent patients with IBD

Any bowel resection and anastomosis

PO

da Luz Moreira et al. 2007 [17]

54

NR

Crohn’s colitis patients

Colectomy for Crohn’s colitis

PO, LT

Lap = 12; Open = 40^a

Cases and controls matched

Diamond et al. 2001 [18]

23

NR

Adolescent patients with CD

IC resection

PO

Duepree et al. 2002 [19]

45

NR

CD patients

IC resection

PO

Dunker et al. 1998 [20]

22

NR

CD patients

IC resection

PO,

El Gazaaz et al. 2010 [21]

456

NR

Patients undergoing bowel anastomosis

Any bowel resection and anastomosis

Anastamotic leak rate

Cases and controls matched

Eshuis et al. 2008 [22]

71

NR

CD patients

IC resection

LT

Lap = 104; Open = 103^a

Long-term follow up to study by Bemelman 2000

Eshuis et al. 2010 [23]

55

RCT

CD patients

IC resection

LT

Lap = 78; Open = 82^a

Follow up report on the RCT completed by Maartense et al. 2006

Fichera et al. 2007 [24]

146

NR

CD patients

IC resection

PO, LT

Lap = 26, Open = 15

Huilgol et al. 2004 [25]

40

NR

CD patients

IC resection

PO

Kishi et al. 2000 [26]

35

NR

Stenotic lesions in CD patients

IC resection

PO

Lauro et al. 2004 [27]

51

NR

CD patients

Any bowel resection and anastomosis

PO

Lowney et al. 2006 [28]

113

NR

CD patients

IC resection

PO, LT

Lap = 60; Open = 81

Luan et al. 2000 [29]

40

NR

CD patients

Any bowel resection and anastomosis

PO

Maartense et al. 2006 [30]

60

RCT

CD patients

IC resection

PO

Milsom et al. 2001 [31]

60

RCT

CD patients

IC resection

PO

Msika et al. 2001 [32]

46

NR

CD patients

Any bowel resection and anastomosis

PO

Nakajima et al. 2010 [33]

38

NR

Crohn’s colitis

Colectomy or subtotal colectomy

PO

Hand assisted and laparoscopic assisted groups analyzed together

Shore et al. 2003 [34]

40

NR

CD patients

IC resection

PO

Sica et al. 2008 [35]

28

NR

CD patients

IC resection

PO

Stocchi et al. 2008 [36]

56

RCT

CD patients

IC resection

LT

Lap = 120; Open = 132

Follow up report on the RCT completed by Milsom et al. 2001

Tabet et al. 2001 [37]

61

NR

CD patients

Any bowel resection and anastomosis

PO, LT

Lap = 39; Open = 42

Tanaka et al. 2008 [38]

48

NR

CD patients

Any bowel resection and anastomosis

PO, LT

Unknown

Thaler et al. 2005 [39]

37

NR

CD patients

IC resection

LT

Uchikoshi et al. 2004 [40]

43

NR

Recurrent CD

Bowel resection and anastomosis

PO, LT

Lap = 29.6, Open = 71.9

Hand assisted and laparoscopic assited groups analyed together

Umanskiy et al. 2010 [41]

125

NR

Crohn’s colitis patients

Colectomy for Crohn’s colitis

PO, LT

Lap = 20; Open = 29

Von Allmen et al. 2003 [42]

28

NR

CD patients

Any bowel resection and anastomosis

PO

Wu et al. 1997 [43]

123

NR

CD patients

IC resection

PO