Incidence and outcome of complications following restorative proctocolectomy

Background Complications were analyzed in 296 patients with ulcerative colitis who underwent restorative proctocolectomy. Methods In 96.3% of patients, the pouch was anastomosed using the double stapling method. A total of 44.6% of patients underwent restorative proctocolectomy in 1 stage without ileostomy and 53% in 2 stages. Complications were divided into 2 stages: early (within 1 month) and late (after 1 month); moreover, the annual incidences were calculated, mean onset time, and pouch survival rate. Results The overall incidence of complications was 52.7%. Early complications (13.2%) occurred significantly less often than late complications (46.3%) (P < .05). Thirty-five (17.7%) of 198 complications required surgery. The cumulative 5- and 10-year pouch survival rate was 99%, respectively. Conclusions The rate of complications after restorative proctocolectomy was almost equivalent to that in other reports, but the pouch survival rate was very high