Pouch failures following restorative proctocolectomy in ulcerative colitis.

PURPOSE: Restorative proctocolectomy (RPC) is the most common operation in ulcerative colitis. Nevertheless, permanent ileostomy will sometimes be unavoidable. The aim was to evaluate the reasons for pouch failure and early morbidity after pouch excision. METHODS: The number and the reasons for pouch failures were analysed in patients undergoing RPC 1985-2016. RESULTS: Out of 491 RPC patients, 53 experienced pouch failure (10 women, 43 men); 52 out of 53 underwent pouch excision. The cumulative risk for excision at 5, 10 and 20 years was 5.6, 9.4 and 15.5%, respectively. The reasons for failure included septic events such as fistula in 12 (23%), chronic pouchitis in 11 (21%) and leakage in 8 (15%) patients. Functional reasons for pouch failure were recorded as poor function in 16 (30%), incontinence in 12 (23%) and stricture in 12 (23%) patients. Multiple causes for pouch failure were recorded for individual patients. Seven cases of Crohn's disease were found among the failure cases: two before pouch excision and five after. Altogether, 15 Crohn's disease diagnoses were set in the RPC cohort, giving a percentage of 47% of pouch failure in this disorder. A complication occurred in 23 (44%) patients within 30 days after surgery; 16 were mild (Clavien-Dindo grades I-II). CONCLUSIONS: Eleven percent of RPC patients suffered pouch failure: more men than women. The reasons were multiple. Crohn's disease created a risk of failure, but a half of these patients maintained the pouch. Morbidity after pouch excision was moderate, but in most cases slight.

Long-term functional outcome after restorative proctocolectomy: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: Restorative proctocolectomy is the procedure of choice in the surgical treatment of ulcerative colitis. Functional outcome is the key result of surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long term-functional outcome after the procedure. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study comprised 282 ulcerative colitis patients over 18 years of age who underwent restorative proctocolectomy between1985 and 2009. The median follow-up time was 13 years (range 4-28). Functional outcome of the pouch was evaluated by the disease-specific Öresland questionnaire with a score 0-15; 15 being the worst, and score <8 considered well-functioning. RESULTS: The mean functional score was 5.5 (men 5.6, women 5.0). Seventy per cent of the patients had a well-functioning pouch. Those with poor function had had significantly more pouchitis than the patients with well-functioning pouches, 51.0 vs. 25.6% respectively (p = .001). No association was found between functional score and the time since the operation. In multiple regression analysis only the occurrence of pouchitis was associated with poor functional results. CONCLUSIONS: The functional results were good and remained stable in the majority of the patients. Pouchitis seemed to have a negative impact on the functional results. Elderly patients especially need careful planning and counselling before restorative proctocolectomy.

Colorectal cancer and cholangiocarcinoma in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis and inflammatory bowel disease.

OBJECTIVE: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients with concomitant primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) carry an increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). We evaluated the relative risk of these malignancies in IBD patients with PSC, who had been under regular surveillance. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The survey involved a cohort of 51 patients with IBD and concomitant PSC. All patients had been under regular surveillance for a median of 19 years. The standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) of CRC and CCA were estimated between 1986 and 2007. RESULTS: During the follow up, three patients (5.9%) developed CRC and five patients (9.8%) developed CCA. SIRs were 20.71 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.62-79.70) and 916.63 (95% CI: 297.88-2140.99), respectively. The median age at diagnosis of CRC was 39.5 years. All patients with PSC were <45 years of age at the time of detecting CRC and had other risk factors for CRC. The median age at the time of the CCA diagnosis was 54.0 years. CONCLUSION: Despite regular surveillance, the relative risks of CCA and CRC remained increased in patients with IBD and PSC. A rigorous endoscopic surveillance is maintained for all patients with PSC, but better indicators of the development of CCA are urgently needed.

Anal incontinence: long-term alterations in the incidence and healthcare usage.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine the alterations in the occurrence of incontinence and how subjects suffering from incontinence seek and receive healthcare services over a 10-year follow-up period. METHODS: Postal questionnaires (Wexner Incontinence Score, Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale, a questionnaire to investigate the management of fecal incontinence and the frequency of urinary incontinence) were sent to subjects who had reported anal incontinence in our population-based study in 2003. For each incontinent person (n = 155) from the 2003 series, we identified two control subjects (n = 310) who did not suffer from incontinence. RESULTS: Of the initially incontinent, 47 (58%) had remained incontinent after a follow up of 10 years. Almost 80% of the incontinent subjects in 2012 were female. Of the 152 initially continent, 12 (7.9%) had developed symptoms, all of whom were females. Urinary incontinence was present in approximately 60% of incontinent subjects. The majority (57.8%) of the subjects still incontinent in 2012 felt that they needed help for the complaint, but only 30.9% had received any, and only 7.4% received any benefit. The most common treatment was medication. The subjective incontinence impaired the quality of life. CONCLUSION: Incontinence is a chronic long-lasting disorder. The current management of anal incontinence is not satisfactory. The primary healthcare system should be more aware of the nature of this condition to find and offer treatment for the patients.

The risk of colorectal cancer in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases in Finland: a follow-up of 20 years.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Data on the relative risk of colorectal cancer in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are inconsistent. To prevent the development of cancer, endoscopic facilities should be targeted correctly. We report here the results of a 20-year follow-up in Finland and evaluate the efficacy of endoscopic surveillance in cancer prevention. METHODS: The data were based on an IBD register in our catchment area in 1986-2007. The population-based cohort comprised 1915 patients, 1254 with ulcerative colitis, 550 with Crohn's disease and 111 with inflammatory bowel unclassified. Colorectal cancer cases were obtained from the IBD register; the colorectal cancer figures in the respective population were obtained from the Finnish Cancer Registry. RESULTS: Colorectal cancer was found in 21 patients, the standardized incidence ratio (SIR) being 1.83 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.13-2.79) for IBD. Colorectal cancer risk was 3.09 (CI 1.50-5.75) for extensive UC, and 3.62 (CI 2.00-11.87) for Crohn's disease affecting the colon. Eleven (52%) of the colorectal cancer cases were TNM stage 3 or 4. In the same observation period 10 colectomies with ileoanal anastomosis were performed with the indication of cancer risk in ulcerative colitis; of these 10 patients only two had no additional risk factors for colorectal cancer, for example primary sclerosing cholangitis, pseudopolyposis or active disease. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of colorectal cancer in the cohort was only moderately increased. In the absence of additional risk factors, endoscopic surveillance was of limited benefit. We therefore suggest intensive endoscopy surveillance to be targeted on patients with definite risk factors.

Seven-year follow-up after anterior sphincter reconstruction for faecal incontinence.

PURPOSE: The aim was to evaluate the effects of anterior sphincter repair on faecal incontinence and quality of life. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-six patients who underwent anterior anal sphincteroplasty between January 2003 and December 2005 were asked to complete questionnaires containing the Wexner Incontinence Score (a score of 0 corresponds to full continence and 20 to total incontinence) and Faecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale preoperatively, in May 2006 (mean follow-up time, 22.8 months) and in August 2011 (mean follow-up time, 89.3 months). Thirty-nine (69.6 %) patients completed the questionnaires before the operation and in 2006, and 36 (64.3 %) in 2011. RESULTS: The overall severity of faecal incontinence improved in 26 patients (67 %), and quality of life improved in 2006 as a whole, but after a longer follow-up (in 2011), the severity of faecal incontinence was about the same as preoperatively (median, 12.0 months) in all the patients. Among younger patients (≤50 years), the situation was better, but older patients (>50 years) had an even worse situation than before the operation. In the group of younger patients, the preoperative median of the overall incontinence score was 10.5, and in 2011, it was 9.0, while in the group of older patients, the corresponding numbers were 13.0 and 15.0. In 2011, quality of life was still better than preoperatively as a whole, but the results had deteriorated from those in 2006. CONCLUSIONS: Initially, both overall faecal incontinence and quality of life improved, but younger patients achieved a greater benefit. However, the results deteriorated with a longer follow-up. Operative management should be considered preferably in relatively young subjects as their results are better.

Fecal calprotectin mirrors inflammation of the distal ileum and bowel function after restorative proctocolectomy for pediatric-onset ulcerative colitis.

BACKGROUND: The goal was to cross-sectionally assess fecal calprotectin after restorative proctocolectomy for pediatric-onset ulcerative colitis (UC). METHODS: Fecal calprotectin, histology of the distal ileum, inflammation biochemistry, episodes of pouchitis, and bowel function were cross-sectionally determined at early adulthood in 32 patients who had undergone proctocolectomy with ileoanal anastomosis for UC at a mean (SD) age of 12.0 +/- 4.1 years. RESULTS: A total of 15 (47%) patients showed increased (>100 microg/g) fecal calprotectin (669 +/- 866 microg/g), although their serum C-reactive protein (5.2 +/- 3.8 mg/L), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (13 +/- 13 mm/h), and white blood cell count (6.7 +/- 1.7 E9/L) were normal or slightly elevated. Calprotectin correlated positively with the histological neutrophil count of the distal ileum (r = 0.715; P < 0.001), the frequency of pouchitis (r = 0.468; P < 0.01), and with the maximum daily frequency of bowel actions (r = 0.610; P < 0.001). Mean fecal calprotectin was 71 +/- 50 microg/g among patients with no history of pouchitis (n = 10), 290 +/- 131 microg/g among patients with a single episode of pouchitis (n = 15), and 832 +/- 422 microg/g among those with recurrent pouchitis (P = 0.019 between recurrent pouchitis and no pouchitis). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for fecal calprotectin concentration over 300 microg/g to detect recurrent pouchitis were 57%, 92%, 67%, and 89%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Neutrophilic inflammation of the distal ileum, as reflected by fecal calprotectin, is common after restorative proctocolectomy for pediatric-onset UC.

[Treatment of anal incontinence]. / Anaali-inkontinenssin hoito.

Diagnosis and treatment of anal incontinence in outpatient care are simple and usually quite feasible for the general practitioner. The main single cause of the incontinence is an age-related weakening of the pelvic floor. The basic care invariably involves moderation of the bowel function by medication and diet as well as strengthening of pelvic floor muscles, which is suitable for the treatment of both anal and urinary incontinence. If basic care does not help, the patient is sent into specialized care. Corrective surgical operations of the sphincter yield varying results. Neurostimulation can be tried for nearly all patients suffering from severe fecal incontinence.