ABSTRACT
Ileoanal pouches were first introduced to restore anal continence in patients who had undergone proctocolectomy for ulcerative colitis (Parks and Nicholls, 1978). Pouch surgery is now offered to patients as an alternative to permanent ileostomy following proctocolectomy for a variety of conditions, including, in particular, familial adenomatous polyposis (Nicholls et al., 1985); ileoanal pouches have also been fabricated following proctocolectomy for intractable constipation (Nicholls and Kamm, 1988), juvenile polyposis, necrotizing enterocolitis, extensive Hirschsprung’s disease and indeterminate colitis (Pishori et al., 2004). Rarely, a patient with Crohn’s disease will have a pouch (Panis et al., 1996), although Crohn’s disease is usually regarded as a contraindication to pouch surgery. Another contraindication is the presence of a low rectal carcinoma.
