How common is pouchitis?
It is estimated that 32 percent of patients who get an ileoanal pouch after having their colon removed for ulcerative colitis will develop pouchitis at some time or another in their life. The longer you have had your pouch, the greater your risk is for developing the disease. Additionally, individuals with immunologic skin disease, severe inflammatory joint diseases, smokers or those with a history of primary sclerosing are at greater risk. Some patients may only get one attack and a small group of patients may have recurrent attacks. How is pouchitis treated? Pouchitis is usually treated using antibiotics to relieve the inflammation. Immunosuppressive medications and probiotics may also be utilized in those with chronic symptoms. Rarely, in chronic pouchitis, patients may opt to convert to a standard ileostomy, which eliminates the condition.
