Volvulus of an ileal pouch-rectal anastomosis after subtotal colectomy for ulcerative colitis: report of a case

Ileal J-pouch rectal anastomosis is a commonly performed procedure for patients who have undergone subtotal colectomy for ulcerative colitis or familial adenomatous polyposis without rectal involvement. We herein report the case of a patient with ileal pouch volvulus that developed 15 years after subtotal colectomy for ulcerative colitis. A 62-year-old female visited our emergency room with complaints of abdominal pain and nausea that had persisted for 12 h. Abdominal radiography and contrast-enhanced computed tomography detected segmental distention of the small intestine around the staples. We diagnosed volvulus of the ileal pouch-rectal anastomosis and performed emergency laparotomy. We released the volvulus and performed pouchpexy. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 10, and recurrence of the volvulus has not been observed for 5 months since the procedure was performed. Our study indicates that an early diagnosis and intervention are needed to avoid serious complications, such as pouch necrosis and perforation, in such cases.