Functional results of ileal pouch

Background: Proctocolectomy with ileal pouch and posterior pouch anal anastomosis is the treatment of choice of severe ulcerative colitis and polyposis. Aim: To evaluate the functional results of ileal pouch anal anastomosis. Material and Methods: Retrospective assessment of all patients subjected to an ileal pouch anal anastomosis. Pouch function was evaluated using Oresland score that goes from 0 or perfect to 15 or bad. Results: During a 10 years period, 35 patients were operated. Ten patients aged 19 to 67 years were treated for an ulcerative colitis and nine, aged 18 to 54 years for a familial adenomatous polyposis. Global complication rate of the procedure was 20%. Late complication rate was 17%. Specific complication rate of the rectal- ileal pouch anastomosis was 6%. Specific late complications of the technique were only observed in six of 20 patients with ulcerative colitis. Pouch failure was observed in two patients (6%). Global Oresland score was 3.2. Seventeen of 22 patients with ulcerative colitis and seven of eight patients with polyposis had a satisfactory or acceptable score. Patients had a mean of 4.4 bowel movements per day (range 1 to 15) without differences according to the underlying disease. Conclusions: Eighty percent of patients subjected to an ileal pouch anal anastomosis reported an Oresland score of less than seven, that is satisfactory in terms of quality of life.