title: Quality of life, continence and frequency of pouchitis following laparoscopic versus open colectomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis: an Irish perspective.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aims to assess quality of life outcomes, continence, rates of pouchitis and predictors of pouchitis for patients undergoing laparoscopic versus open three-stage ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) surgery in our institution.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two patients having had three-stage (IPAA) surgery were identified. One was excluded as they had undergone pouchectomy. A postal questionnaire followed by telephone contact was undertaken. The questionnaire was based on The Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI) and Wexner/Cleveland Clinic Faecal Incontinence Symptom Severity Scoring Systems.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to assess morbidity, quality of life, incidence of pouchitis and continence following restorative panproctocolectomy and IPAA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-five patients completed the response. The median age at colectomy of our patient population was 32 years. 57 % were male and 43 % were female. 54.3 % of cases were carried out laparoscopically. 8/19 patients who had laparoscopic surgery had pouchitis (42.1 %) versus 9/16 patients who had open surgery (56.3 %). The median Wexner score was 0. Nine patients (25.7 %) had a GIQLI score that was within or above the range reported for healthy controls. The rate of complications was 31.7 % for emergency cases and 25.7 % for elective cases. The rate of pouchitis in this group was 48.5 %. Overall pelvic sepsis rate was 12.8 %.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis is a successful and well-tolerated procedure with 94 % of patients opting to have the surgery again. Preliminary results do not show any significant difference in the incidence of pouchitis following laparoscopic surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Colorectal and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Adelaide and Meath Incorporating the National Children's Hospital, Tallaght, Dublin 24, Ireland, cliodhnabrowne@rcsi.ie.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Browne
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shaikh
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Iqbal
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: McGovern
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rowe
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Neary
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D003082:Colectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000601:surgery; D039021:Colonic Pouches / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007494:Ireland; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019449:Pouchitis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D016737:Proctocolectomy, Restorative / Q000009:adverse effects; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires