Completed pouch with placement into anal canal

Ileal pouch reconstruction has allowed patients with conditions such as ulcerative colitis, familial polyposis and certain types of colon cancer to avoid living with a permanent ileostomy and external appliance after colectomy.

 

 

The procedure involves removing the colon, rectum and anal canal lining and using the end of the small bowel (ileum) to create a new rectum. Developed in the late 1970s by British and Japanese surgeons, ileal pouch reconstruction has become the new "gold standard" for patients undergoing colon removal. Since the first procedures, surgeons have improved both the pouch and the technique, eliminating many complications.

 

At UW Hospital and Clinics, surgeons began doing ileal pouch reconstructions in 1984. We have watched our ileal pouch patients go on to lead normal lives and enjoy social and athletic activities their disease had kept them from in the past.

 

 

Most ileal pouch recipients have a history of ulcerative colitis, familial polyposis, or hereditary cancer syndrome that has failed to respond to more conservative treatments.