Results of ileal J-pouch-anal anastomosis in familial adenomatous polyposis complicated by rectal carcinoma

PURPOSE: Rectal cancer frequently occurs in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and, in some cases, proctocolectomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) can be proposed as an alternative to end ileostomy. This study aimed to assess the results of IPAA for familial adenomatous polyposis complicated by rectal carcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Postoperative morbidity and bowel function following IPAA were assessed in six patients who had a mesorectal excision for rectal cancer. The functional results were compared with those obtained after IPAA in 134 FAP patients without bowel cancer. RESULTS: Carcinomas were located at a mean of 11 cm from the dentate line. There were no postoperative complications. One patient with synchronous hepatic metastases died 6 months after operation and the 5 others were alive without recurrence after a mean follow-up of 29 months. Mean frequency of defecation was 6.5/day (vs. 4.2/day in patients without carcinoma), 86 percent of patients had nocturnal defecation (vs. 50 percent), day and night continence were normal in 66 percent and 33 percent of patients, respectively, compared with 90 percent and 85 percent for IPAA without cancer. Pouch excision was required in one patient for unsatisfactory functional result. CONCLUSION: IPAA can be safely performed for cancer of the upper rectum complicating FAP, but a poor functional outcome related to mesorectal excision has to be expected.     

Carcinoma and the ileal pouch-anal anastomosis

Of 362 patients undergoing ileal pouch-anal anastomosis, 12 (five with chronic ulcerative colitis and seven with familial adenomatous polyposis) had 16 associated carcinomas. Incidental carcinoma was found in four patients who had undergone ileal pouch-anal anastomosis, six patients had known carcinoma, and carcinoma was suspected in two patients with high-grade dysplasia. No tumor was Stage C or D. After a median observation period of 24 months, no evidence of recurrence was documented. Data suggest that patients with carcinoma complicating chronic ulcerative colitis and familial adenomatous polyposis can safely undergo ileal pouch-anal anastomosis; however, it may be prudent to perform resection and later ileal pouch-anal anastomosis after a period of observation and appropriate adjuvant therapy because of the difficulty in intraoperative staging.Read at the meeting of The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, St. Louis, Missouri, April 29 to May 4, 1990.     

Rediversion after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to understand better the cause and predictability of pouch failure requiring rediversion after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis and to assess the ultimate outcome of patients in a large ileal pouch series who required rediversion. METHODS: Data from 460 patients completing ileal pouch-anal anastomosis at one institution were recorded from both a prospectively accumulated ileal pouch registry and patient medical records. RESULTS: Of 460 patients, 21 (4.6 percent) who underwent ileal pouch-anal anastomosis required rediversion. Five of these patients subsequently had successful restoration of pouch continuity, leaving a permanent failure rate of 16 of 460 patients (3.5 percent). The most common reasons for rediversion were pouch fistula formation (12) and poor functional results (5). Preoperative factors, including age, previous colectomy, and indication for colectomy, did not predict eventual need for rediversion. Patients requiring rediversion had significantly higher rates of postoperative complications (95 vs.43 percent;P <0.001). Specifically, this group had a higher rate of postoperative pouch fistula (57 vs.3.4 percent;P <0.001). Additionally, a final diagnosis of Crohn's disease significantly predicted the need for rediversion. Permanent pouch failure occurred in 36.8 percent of patients with a final diagnosis of Crohn's disease compared with 1.4 percent of patients with a final diagnosis of ulcerative colitis ( P <0.001). All five salvaged patients had fistula formation in the absence of Crohn's disease. CONCLUSIONS: The overall rate of permanent pouch failure is low. The majority of failures were related to fistula formation associated with Crohn's disease or poor functional results. Pouches complicated by fistulas not associated with Crohn's disease can be salvaged with temporary rediversion.Read in part at the meeting of The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, Chicago, Illinois, May 2 to 7, 1993.     

Long-term causes of death following ileal pouch-anal anastomosis

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify the overall long-term causes of death in a large series of patients who were undergoing proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA). METHODS: Records of patients who underwent proctocolectomy with IPAA at the Mayo Clinic affiliated hospitals between January 1981 and October 1994 were reviewed to determine overall mortality, cause, and timing of death. RESULTS: A total of 1,603 patients underwent proctocolectomy with IPAA reconstruction (1,407 for chronic ulcerative colitis (CUC), 187 for familial polyposis (FAP), and 9 for other diagnoses). Thirty-two patients have died, with an overall mortality rate of 2 percent. Mean age at time of death was 40 (23–60) years. There was no significant difference in overall mortality between patients with CUC and patients with FAP. Three deaths occurred postoperatively (0.2 percent) because of pulmonary embolism, perforated gastric ulcer, and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Late deaths occurred in 29 patients (1.8 percent), 10 months to 10.4 years after the operation. The most common cause of late death was cancer, including colon and rectal carcinoma (10 patients), hematologic malignancies (4 patients), cholangiocarcinoma (3 patients), and germ-cell carcinoma (1 patient). Four patients died from unrelated sepsis, two died following myocardial infarction, two patients died from complications of subsequent orthopedic surgery, and one patient died of cirrhosis. Two additional patients committed suicide. No late deaths were directly attributable to the IPAA procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Proctocolectomy with IPAA is a safe procedure. Operative mortality is low, and late deaths are related to carcinogenic and extracolonic manifestations of underlying or unrelated coexisting diseases and events.Read at the meeting of The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, May 7 to 12, 1995.     

Comparison of ileal pouch-anal anastomosis and ileorectal anastomosis in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the surgical complications and long-term outcome and assess the functional results and quality of life after ileorectal anastomosis and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis. METHODS: From 1980 to 1997, 131 patients with familial adenomatous polyposis were operated on or were followed up or both at the Familial Gastrointestinal Cancer Registry at Mount Sinai Hospital. Demographic and operative data were prospectively collected in the ileal pouch-anal anastomosis group, and retrospectively in the ileorectal anastomosis group. A questionnaire or telephone interview or both were undertaken to evaluate functional outcome and quality of life. RESULTS: The ileorectal anastomosis group consisted of 60 patients (mean age, 31 years; mean follow-up, 7.7 years). In the ileal pouch-anal anastomosis group there were 50 patients (mean age, 35 years; mean follow-up, 6 years). There were no statistically significant differences with respect to anastomotic leak rate in ileal pouch-anal anastomosisvs. ileorectal anastomosis (12vs. 3 percent;P=0.21), risk of small-bowel obstruction (24vs. 15 percent;P=0.58), and risk of intra-abdominal sepsis (3vs. 2 percent;P=0.86). Reoperation rate was similar in the two groups (14vs. 16 percent;P=0.94). Twenty-one patients (37 percent) with ileorectal anastomosis were converted to ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (12 patients) or proctocolectomy (9 patients), because of rectal cancer (5 patients), dysplasia (1 patient), or uncontrollable rectal polyps (15 patients). Two pelvic pouches were excised, and another one was defunctioned. Information regarding functional results and quality of life was obtained in 40 patients (66.6 percent) in the ileorectal anastomosis group and in 43 patients (86 percent) in the ileal pouch-anal anastomosis group. Patients with ileorectal anastomosis had a significantly better functional outcome with regard to nighttime continence and perineal skin irritation. But otherwise, functional results and quality of life were similar. CONCLUSIONS: Although ileorectal anastomosis has a better functional outcome, ileal pouch-anal anastomosis may be preferable because of the lower long-term failure rate. Ileorectal anastomosis is still an option in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis with rectal polyp sparing and good compliance for follow-up.Read at the meeting of The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, San Antonio, Texas, May 2 to 7, 1998.     

Delayed ileal pouch-anal anastomosis

In patients with chronic ulcerative colitis (CUC), ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) can be performed either at the time of colectomy or as a delayed procedure after total abdominal colectomy and ileostomy. There has been debate as to whether delayed IPAA results in superior functional results, since patients are frequently steroid-free and have little evidence of active disease. To assess this, we analyzed 95 patients who had undergone total abdominal colectomy, either with ileostomy and Hartmann's procedure or with ileorectostomy, 2–183 months prior to IPAA. Postoperative complications and functional results were compared with those of 776 CUC patients who underwent IPAA at the time of abdominal colectomy. Indications for prior colectomy included toxic megacolon (40 percent), failed medical therapy (36 percent), other reasons (e.g.,iatrogenic perforation, cancer) (6 percent), and reasons unclear (18 percent). Nineteen percent of delayed-IPAA patients were taking steroids at the time of pouch construction. Follow-ups were similar in the two groups. The incidence of septic and obstructive complications after delayed IPAA vs. IPAA at the time of colectomy were 10.5 percent vs.5.4 percent and 6.5 percent vs.14.5 percent, respectively. There were no significant differences in postoperative functional results between the two groups. Delayed IPAA confers no advantage over IPAA performed at the time of colectomy in terms of functional outcome. Delayed IPAA was associated with a significantly higher rate of septic complications but a lower incidence of postoperative obstruction.Read at the meeting of The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, St. Louis, Missouri, April 29 to May 4, 1990.     

Alteration in intestinal permeability after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis

PPURPOSE: The physiologic changes that occur when the small bowel is used as a reservoir, as in the ileal pouchanal anastomosis, are poorly understood. Alterations in bowel permeability, which may lead to bacterial translocation that could result in illness or dysfunction of the pouch, may be one such consequence of the pouch procedure. METHODS: Whole-bowel permeability was evaluated in patients with and without the pouch through the use of an orally consumed nonmetabolizable sugar clearance technique. Patients in whom the ileal pouchanal anastomosis was performed for ulcerative colitis (17 patients) and patients with familial polyposis (7 patients) were compared with normal healthy volunteers (10 patients) and patients with ulcerative colitis with and without curative colectomy and ileostomy (6 and 5 patients, respectively). RESULTS: Measured by this technique, no differences were noted in bowel permeability between the volunteers and patients with ulcerative colitis, even after colectomy and ileostomy (1.7±0.4 in normal healthy volunteers, 1.8±0.5 in patients with ulcerative colitis without stoma, and 1.4±0.2 in patients with ulcerative colitis with ileostomy). The group of patients with an ileal reservoir, however, had a significantly increased index of measured bowel permeability (3.5±0.5 in patients with ulcerative colitis and 5.1±0.7 in patients with familial polyposis; P<0.05 by analysis of variance compared with normal healthy volunteers and patients with ulcerative colitis with or without ileostomy). CONCLUSION: The exact site, cause, and consequence of this possible alteration of bowel permeability are unclear but appear to be related to the presence of the pouch and are not caused by the underlying pathologic diagnosis.Poster presentation at the meeting of The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, Boston, Massachusetts, May 12 to 17, 1991. Winner of the New Jersey Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons Award, 1991.     

Consequences of ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for Crohn's colitis

Patients with Crohn's colitis are generally not considered candidates for the ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA). procedure. We reviewed 362 consecutive patients undergoing IPAA and analyzed the outcome of this procedure on 25 patients with a preoperative diagnosis of mucosal ulcerative colitis who were subsequently proven to have Crohn's disease. The mean follow-up was 38.1 months. Sixteen patients have a functioning pouch, seven have required pouch excision, one is diverted, and one has died. Only one of nine patients in whom there was a preoperative clinical feature suggestive of Crohn's disease has a functioning pouch, with complications uniformly occurring within months of ileostomy closure. In contrast, 15 of 16 patients without preoperative features of Crohn's disease have maintained their pouch, generally with good results. These data suggest that patients in whom there is clinical and pathologic evidence of Crohn's disease do very poorly without meaningful symptom-free intervals. However, patients without any clinical features of Crohn's disease, despite a histopathologic diagnosis of Crohn's colitis, have had a good outcome with IPAA thus far.Read at the meeting of The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, St. Louis, Missouri, April 29 to May 4, 1990.     

Lymphoma of the pouch after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis

The most common cause of pouch dysfunction after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis is pouchitis. Although low-grade dysplasia in the mucosa of the pouch has been recently described in the presence of pouchitis, there has been no report of carcinoma arising in the pouch itself. We describe a patient who developed a large-cell lymphoma of the ileal pouch after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis.     

Double-stapledvs. handsewn ileal pouch-anal anastomosis in patients with chronic ulcerative colitis

Proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) is the treatment of choice for most patients with chronic ulcerative colitis. Whether or not a double-stapled technique, which should preserve the anal transition zone and avoid prolonged anal dilation, facilitates superior fecal continence compared with conventional mucosal resection and handsewn anastomosis is unknown. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare functional results after double-stapled and handsewn IPAA. METHODS: Twenty-seven consecutive patients (13 females, 14 males; mean age, 37 years) who had proctocolectomy and double-stapled IPAA (J) for chronic ulcerative colitis were identified. Each was matched by sex, age, and surgeon to a control who had undergone a conventional handsewn anastomosis. Functional results at six months after ileostomy closure were compared. RESULTS: Median stool frequency in each group was seven. The prevalence of pouchitis was 22 percent in both groups. One pouch failure occurred in each group. The percentage of patients from the double-stapled group with daytime spotting was similar to that of the handsewn group (18 percent vs. 26 percent,P>0.5). Nighttime soiling rates were similar as well (41 percent vs.48 percent,P>0.5). CONCLUSIONS: Double-stapled IPAA appears to convey no early functional advantage over handsewn IPAA for chronic ulcerative colitis.Presented at the Tripartite Meeting, Sydney, Australia, October 1993.     

Social and sexual function following ileal pouch-anal anastomosis

PURPOSE: Patiens who undergo surgery for ulcerative colitis are usually young and active. When surgery becomes necessary, their future social and sexual function is of major concern. This study was performed to be able to give more detailed information of what is to be expected. METHODS: Forty-nine consecutive patients (26 men and 23 women) who underwent ileal J-pouch-anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis between November 1983 and September 1986 in the authors' institution were personally interviewed regarding details of their preoperative and postoperative social and sexual functions. RESULTS: Eighty-eight percent had reduced capacity to work preoperatively compared with 6 percent postoperatively. Thirty-one percent resumed work in the period with diverting ileostomy. Leisure time activities were reduced in 47 percent preoperatively, whereas 6 percent had limitations postoperatively. In 35 percent of women, frequency of intercourse was increased postoperatively, and none reported a decreased frequency. None of the women who were able to achieve orgasm preoperatively reported a postoperative disturbance of this ability, and 16 percent experienced an increased quality of orgasm. Postoperatively none reported dyspareunia, vaginal discharge, or changes in their menstrual cycle. Frequency of intercourse and ability to achieve orgasm remained unchanged for the majority of men; however, one developed erectile dysfunction, and one complained of retrograde ejaculation. Sexual activity in men was less affected by the presence of an ileostomy, and 69 percent had intercourse in the period with ileostomy compared with 30 percent of women. None of the patients complained of anal pain, soiling, or fecal leakage during intercourse, but one woman reported some discomfort from the pouch during intercourse. None of the patients wanted to return to a life with an ileostomy. CONCLUSION: The social and sexual function, quality of life, after ileal J-pouch anastomosis is improved when compared with the period with ulcerative colitis and the time with diverting ileostomy. In men, however, a frequency of sexual dysfunction similar to what is seen after proctectomy for benign diseases should be underlined.     

Indeterminate colitis predisposes to perineal complications after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis

This study retrospectively evaluated 288 patients who had undergone ileal pouch-anal anastomosis to determine the incidence of perineal complications and to relate these findings to the pathologic diagnosis, with the goal of specifically clarifying the appropriate surgical management of patients with indeterminate colitis. Of these 288 patients, 235 patients (82 percent) had a diagnosis of chronic ulcerative colitis, 18 patients (6 percent) had indeterminate colitis, 6 patients (2 percent) had Crohn's disease, and 29 patients (10 percent) had familial polyposis. All complications occurred at least 6 months after closure of the stoma and required operative therapy. Of 18 patients with indeterminate colitis, 9 patients experienced complications (50 percent) vs. 8 of 235 patients with chronic ulcerative colitis (3 percent), a highly significant difference (P <0.001). Furthermore, the risk of eventual ileostomy because of perineal complications was 0.4 percent in patients with chronic ulcerative colitis vs. 28 percent in patients with indeterminate colitis (P< 0.001). We conclude that a diagnosis of indeterminate colitis predisposes the patient undergoing ileal pouchanal anastomosis to perineal complications, with a resultant high chance of reservoir loss. Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis should be considered with caution in the patient with a diagnosis of indeterminate colitis.Read at the meeting of The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, St. Louis, Missouri, April 29 to May 4, 1990.     

Afferent limb obstruction complicating ileal pouch-anal anastomosis

PURPOSE: Small-bowel obstruction is a common complication after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA). Acute angulation of the afferent limb at the pouch inlet is the cause of obstruction in a subset of patients requiring laparotomy. METHODS: Patients were identified from the Lahey Clinic ileoanal pouch registry, a prospective computerized database of all patients who have undergone IPAA since 1980. Records of patients who were identified as having afferent limb obstruction as a cause of bowel obstruction after IPAA were reviewed. RESULTS: A total of 567 patients had undergone total proctocolectomy and ileoanal J-pouch at time of the study. Of 122 patients with one or more episodes of obstruction after IPAA, 48 required operative intervention. Afferent limb obstruction was identified as the cause of obstruction in six patients (12 percent). The most common presentation was recurrent partial obstruction (4 of 6 patients). Contrast small-bowel series and enemas were suggestive of obstruction in four of six patients, the most consistent radiographic finding being small-bowel dilation to the level of the pouch inlet. All patients underwent laparotomy for unresolved obstruction. Intraoperatively, the afferent limb was found to be adherent posterior to the pouch, causing acute angulation at the pouch inlet. Rather than risk injury to the pouch or its mesentery, the obstruction was bypassed by side-to-side anastomosis of the afferent limb to the pouch (enteroenterostomy) in five of six patients. One patient underwent ileostomy only because of technical considerations. Two patients required re-exploration and pexy of the afferent limb to the pelvic sidewall (pouchopexy) to relieve recurrent afferent limb obstruction. CONCLUSION: Afferent limb obstruction should be suspected in patients with recurrent obstruction after IPAA. Bypass of the obstructed segment from distal ileum to the pouch is safe and effective treatment. Because of the risk of recurrent afferent limb angulation, concurrent pouchopexy should be considered.Poster presentation at the meeting of The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, Seattle, Washington, June 9 to 14, 1996.     

Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis function following childbirth

PURPOSE: Women undergoing Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) are frequently within reproductive years and eager to bear children. Management issues have been raised regarding the effects of pregnancy and delivery on the pouch, particularly with respect to obstetric care. Our experience is updated to search for delayed sequelae of pregnancy and delivery and to establish whether other factors have an adverse effect on pouch function. These results are also compared with the outcome of pregnancy and delivery in patients with ileostomy or Kock pouch. METHODS: Records of 43 women who had a successful pregnancy and delivery following IPAA were reviewed, including 8 women who had more than 1 pregnancy. RESULTS: Pregnancy was generally well tolerated, with complications being managed nonoperatively. Stool frequency (P<0.01), incontinence (P<0.01), and pad usage (P<0.05; sign rank test) were significantly increased during pregnancy, but prepregnancy function was restored following delivery. Vaginal delivery, multiple births, length of labor, and birth weight had no adverse permanent effect on subsequent pouch function. Longer follow-up after vaginal delivery (mean, 2.4 years) demonstrated no compromise of pouch function. CONCLUSIONS: Incidence of pouch-related complications in patients with IPAA compares favorably with incidence in patients with ileostomy or Kock pouch. Operative rate for complications was 0 percent in IPAA patients compared with 9 percent in patients with ileostomy and 19 percent in patients with Kock pouch. The cesarean section rate was higher in patients with IPAA than in those with ileostomy or Kock pouch, and this may be caused by uncertainty about how to manage delivery in patients with IPAA. Pregnancy and childbirth are well tolerated in women with IPAA, with a lower complication rate and a higher cesarean section rate than women with ileostomy or Kock pouch. Type of delivery should be influenced by obstetric considerations, with vaginal delivery avoided in patients with a noncompliant, rigid perineum.Read at the meeting of The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, San Francisco, California, June 7 to 12, 1992.     

Obstruction after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis: A preventable complication?

Small bowel obstruction is a common complication after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis. This review of 460 patients examines the frequency of small bowel obstruction and determines potential risk factors. The leading indication for ileal pouch-anal anastomosis was ulcerative colitis (83 percent). In 142 patients (31 percent), loop ileostomy was rotated 180° to facilitate emptying of the ileostomy. Ninety-four patients (20 percent) had 109 episodes of obstruction. Obstruction occurred after creation of the pouch (40 episodes), closure of the ileostomy (29 episodes), or developed during the subsequent followup period (40 episodes). Operative intervention was required in 39 percent of the episodes (7 percent of all patients). At operation, the most common point of obstruction was at closure of the ileostomy (n=22/42, 52 percent). In 16 of these patients, the ileostomy had been rotated. Multiple risk factors, including age, sex, primary diagnosis, surgeon incidence, pouch type, prior colectomy, steroid usage, stomal rotation, technique of closure of the ileostomy, and prior obstruction, were examined by univariate and multivariate analysis. Of all factors, only stomal rotation was statistically significant (P = 0.0005, chi-squared analysis). Rotation of the loop ileostomy during ileal pouch-anal anastomosis, although an apparent technical refinement, is unnecessary and predisposes to obstruction.Dr. Marcello was supported by a grant from the Eleanor Naylor Dana Charitable Trust, New York, New York.Read at the meeting of The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, San Francisco, California, June 7 to 12, 1992.     

Comparing functional results one year and ten years after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for chronic ulcerative colitis

Proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) is the treatment of choice for most patients with chronic ulcerative colitis. Long-term results, however remain undefined; the major concern is that function may deteriorate. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess functional outcome in a subgroup of patients who have an IPAA for chronic ulcerative colitis for >10 years. METHODS: Among 1400 IPAA patients, 75 consecutive subjects (31 females and 44 males; median age 31 at operation) were identified who had the procedure prior to 1982. All patients had functional results recorded 1 year and 10 years following ileostomy closure. RESULTS: There were four deaths during the follow-up period; none were pouch related. Two patients refused ileostomy closure. Of the remaining 69 patients, there were 8 (11 percent) failures, leaving 61 subjects available for study. Stool frequency (7±3, mean±SD) remained unchanged. Of the 50 subjects with initially excellent daytime continence, 39 (78 percent) remained the same, 10 (20 percent) developed minor incontinence, and 1 developed poor control after 10 years. Four of 10 subjects (40 percent) with initial minor daytime incontinence remained unchanged, 4 (40 percent) improved, and 2 (20 percent) worsened. The one subject with poor control at one year was unchanged. Nocturnal fecal spotting increased over the 10-year period but not significantly (38 percent vs.52 percent;P=0.08). CONCLUSIONS: After IPAA, functional results in terms of stool frequency and rate of fecal incontinence did not deteriorate with time.Read at the meeting of The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, Chicago, Illinois, May 2 to 7, 1993.     

Familial adenomatous polyposis

PURPOSE: Virtually all untreated patients with familial adenomatous polyposis develop colorectal carcinoma. Thus, prophylactic colectomy is indicated. Detractors of ileal pouch-anal anastomosis prefer ileorectal anastomosis for teenagers because of the potential negative impact of ileal pouch-anal anastomosis on quality of life. The aim of this study was to assess the effects on quality of life of ileal pouch-anal anastomosis in teenagers with familial adenomatous polyposis. METHODS: Between 1981 and 1998, 48 teenagers underwent ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for familial adenomatous polyposis. One patient had proctectomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis after previous ileorectal anastomosis. A temporary diverting loop ileostomy was established in 42 patients (87.5 percent). One patient had colonic carcinoma diagnosed preoperatively. Two other patients were found to have unsuspected rectal cancer at surgery. Mean follow-up (± standard deviation) in 43 patients was 80.5±42 months. RESULTS: There was no immediate postoperative mortality. Postoperative complications included pelvic sepsis (3 patients; 1 requiring reoperation) and bleeding (1 patient; no surgery required). One patient died of metastatic colonic carcinoma. Ten patients required reoperation, seven had bowel obstruction, one had portal hypertension, and two required an ileostomy. The mean (± standard deviation) daytime and nighttime stool frequency was 4±1.5 and 1±1, respectively. One patient reported daytime and nighttime incontinence, and two patients reported nighttime incontinence only. No patient experienced impotence or retrograde ejaculation. Social, sexual, sport, housework, recreation, family, travel, and work activities were improved or unchanged in 82.5, 87, 80, 90, 80, 92.5, 77.5, and 89 percent of patients, respectively. Three male patients fathered children, and three female patients had a total of six children after normal pregnancies and deliveries. CONCLUSION: The impact of ileal pouch-anal anastomosis on quality of life was favorable in the majority of teenagers. The risk of rectal cancer should be the major consideration before proposing an operation to teenagers with familial adenomatous polyposis.Poster presentation at The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons' 100th Anniversary and Tripartite Meeting, Washington, D.C., May 1 to 6, 1999.     

Safety of urgent restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for fulminant colitis

PURPOSE: Subtotal colectomy with ileostomy is the operation of choice for patients with fulminant colitis. Restorative proctocolectomy (RPC) with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) is preferred for patients who undergo elective surgery for ulcerative colitis. We retrospectively evaluated the safety of RPC with IPAA in patients with a moderate form of fulminant colitis. METHODS: A chart review of 737 patients who underwent RPC with IPAA for ulcerative and indeterminate colitis from 1983 through 1992 was performed. Moderate fulminant colitis was defined as acute disease requiring hospitalization and parenteral steroid therapy, but without hypotension (systolic blood pressure, <100 mmHg), tachycardia (>120 beats/min), or megacolon. RESULTS: Twelve patients with moderate fulminant colitis underwent urgent surgery (1.6 percent). They had been treated preoperatively for 5.1±2.3 days with intravenous high-dose steroids, total parenteral nutrition, and antibiotics. These patients had a shorter length of disease ( P =0.01), lower hemoglobin, hematocrit, and albumin (P=0.001), and higher temperature (P=0.002) and leukocyte count (P=0.007) than patients undergoing elective surgery. No early septic complications occurred, although perianal abscess occurred in one patient and pouch-anal fistula in another patient, 13 and 14 months after surgery, respectively. CONCLUSION: In carefully selected, hemodynamically stable patients with fulminant colitis and without megacolon, RPC with IPAA can be safely performed.Poster presentation at the meeting of The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, Orlando, Florida, May 8 to 13, 1994.     

Pregnancy following ileal pouch-anal anastomosis

Of 92 women undergoing proctocolectomy with ileal “J” pouch-anal anastomosis, between January 1981 and May 1983, six have successfully conceived and carried a pregnancy to term. Three patients had transient deterioration of anorectal function during the third trimester of pregnancy which resolved after delivery. Four patients delivered vaginally without perceptible alteration in subsequent continence. Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis is compatible with normal childbearing postoperatively. The route of delivery should be individualized in these patients.     

Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis without ileostomy

Thirty-seven patients underwent construction of a J-ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) without temporary diverting ileostomy for chronic ulcerative colitis (CUC) (20 patients), familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) (15 patients), indeterminate colitis (1 patient) and nonhereditary polyposis coli (1 patient) between 1981 and 1990. Seven of 20 CUC patients (35 percent) were on steroids at the time of hospital admission. The postoperative course of these patients was compared with that of a group of patients undergoing IPAA with ileostomy during that same time period and matched for age, sex, diagnosis, date of surgery, and steroid use. Eight patients (22 percent) in the group without ileostomy and four patients (11 percent) with ileostomy experienced one or more postoperative pouch-related complications. Complications requiring reoperation in patients without ileostomy occurred more frequently in patients either taking steroids or having previous pelvic radiation therapy. Functional results in patients undergoing one-stage procedures after a mean of 28 postoperative months were comparable to those in patients having staged procedures. Surgeons' criteria for a one-stage procedure in these patients should include absolute lack of tension on the anastomosis, good blood supply to the terminal ileum, good general health, and absence of recent intake of steroids at the time of surgery. We conclude that J-pouch construction with IPAA can be safely performed without diverting ileostomy, provided that these selection factors are taken into account.Read at the meeting of The American Society of Colon ar Rectal Surgeons, St. Louis, Missouri, April 29 to May 4, 1990.