The impact of colectomy and restorative procedure on pouch function after ileo-pouch-anal anastomosis in ulcerative colitis. The icon fun study on behalf of the Italian Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery (SICCR) Inflammatory Bowel Diseases committee.

Background: Available guidelines lack in indications on surgical standard in Ulcerative Colitis (UC) AIMS: To determine the role of surgical strategies of colectomy and proctectomy with pouch-anal-anastomosis (IPAA) on functional outcomes in a nationwide population multicenter study. The secondary aims consisted of perioperative outcomes and complications.

Methods: Data on 379 patients who underwent total abdominal colectomy and proctectomy with ileo-pouch-anal-anastomosis (IPAA) with or without diverting ileostomy were retrospectively collected in a red cap multicenter-database searching for variables that could impact on pouch outcomes as cuffitis, pouchitis, anastomotic stenosis, pouch stenosis, failure or pathological Low-Anterior-Resection-Syndrome (LARS) score.

Results: Mesocolic dissection sealing vessels at major trunks and from medial to lateral are associated with better outcomes. Laparoscopy is associated with lower rate of cuffitis over time (p = 0.028). Mesentery lengthening is associated with higher pouchitis rate (p = 0.015) and earlier failure (p < 0.0001). Hand-sewn IPAA results in early anastomotic stenosis (p = 0.00011). The Transanal-Transection and Single-Stapling Anastomosis (TTSS) showed to be protective against pouchitis. Extended dissection of adhesions correlates with lower rate of pouchitis-episodes (p = 0.0057).

Conclusions: The study highlights advantages of laparoscopy. New techniques such as TTSS promise further improvements. Mesentery lengthening correlates with high risk of pouch-failure and pouchitis, hand-sewn anastomosis increased risk of stenosis.