RESUMO
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) has become the standard treatment for patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) who ultimately require a colectomy. Herein, we report results of our 24-year experience with that surgical method at our hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data were collected regarding surgical procedures and postoperative pathologic diagnoses for 1,000 UC patients, with early and late complications also noted. The pouch functioning rate was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: We performed 1,000 operations for UC over a 24-year period. The mean patient age at the time of operation was 35 years, and the most frequent indication for a colectomy was intractable disease. The overall rates of pouch success after 10 and 20 years were 97% and 89%, respectively. During the study period, 944 patients underwent IPAA at our hospital, of whom 12 (1.3%) were eventually diagnosed with Crohn's disease (CD). Pouch success was higher in patients with UC, with a functioning ileal pouch after 10 and 20 years found in 97% and 92%, respectfully, whereas the proportions of patients with CD and a functioning ileal pouch were lower at 82% and 20%, respectively (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: A restorative proctocolectomy with an IPAA is a safe procedure, with low rates of mortality and major morbidity. We do not recommend routine application of IPAA in any subset of patients with known CD.
