DO PATIENTS WITH “SEVERE” COLITIS HAVE A HIGHER COMPLICATION RATE AFTER ILEAL POUCH-ANAL ANASTOMOSIS (IPAA)?
Merril T Dayton, Kenneth L Larsen, Univ of Utah Sch of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT IPAA offers a sphincter-sparing treatment option to patients with ulcerative colitis who have indications for operative therapy. However, the patients who present for surgery have inflammation that covers a broad spectrum with regards to severity of disease. It has been suggested by some authors that patients with “severe” disease who are on high steroids should undergo colectomy only followed by IPAA at a later date when there is less inflammation, no steroid risk and generally improved nutrition. Few series have specifically addressed the above issue. This study was conducted to ascertain whether patients with “severe” colitis (SC) have a higher complication rate and poorer functional outcome after IPAA than those with “mild” colitis (MC). Between 1983 and 1998, 594 patients underwent IPAA at this institution, 516 of which had ulcerative colitis. At the time of admission, all patients underwent flexib
