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One-stage laparoscopic restorative proctocolectomy: an alternative to the conventional approach?

PURPOSE: There is significant concern in the current literature over the safety of laparoscopic techniques in removal of the entire colon and rectum. The purpose of this study was to examine the results of a one-stage laparoscopic-assisted restorative proctocolectomy in patients with mucosal ulcerative colitis and familial adenomatous polyposis in a single institution experience. METHODS: All patients who underwent laparoscopic-assisted one-stage restorative proctocolectomy (29 mucosal ulcerative colitis; 3 familial adenomatous polyposis) over a 24-month period were followed up prospectively for short-term and long-term complications and functional outcome. RESULTS: There were 32 patients (17 males), with a median age of 32 years (range, 16-29 years). There were no conversions to open surgery. There were two intraoperative complications, an inconsequential rectal perforation during mobilization and one staple line misfire. There were 11 postoperative complications: 3 obstruction/ileus, 2 pouchitis, 2 wound infections, 2 strictures, 1 pelvic abscess, and 1 pouch leak (at the top of the "J"). Three patients required reoperation (1 temporary ileostomy, 1 lysis of adhesions, and 1 transpouch drainage). The median number of bowel movements was seven per day (range, 2-15). CONCLUSION: A one-stage laparoscopic-assisted restorative proctocolectomy can be performed effectively and safely. Given that techniques in laparoscopic large-bowel surgery are still evolving rapidly, the role of this operation in the surgical treatment of patients with mucosal ulcerative colitis and familial adenomatous polyposis is likely to expand in the near future.

Adenomatous Polyposis Coli↗

Reconstructive surgery for failed ileal pouch-anal anastomosis: a viable surgical option with acceptable results.

PURPOSE: Salvage procedures for failed ileal pouch-anal anastomoses frequently require total reconstruction with a combined abdominal and perineal approach. The aim of this study was to determine the indications for surgery and the outcomes in this group of patients. METHODS: All patients who underwent combined abdominal and perineal ileal pouch-anal anastomosis reconstruction at the Mount Sinai Hospital between 1982 and 2000 were reviewed. Data were collected prospectively in the inflammatory bowel disease database. RESULTS: Sixty-three reconstructive procedures were performed in 57 patients, with a mean age of 33.9 (+/-10.4) years at the time of reconstruction. There were 14 males. The mean follow-up was 69.1 months. The initial indication for ileal pouch-anal anastomosis was ulcerative colitis in 98 percent. The primary indication for reconstruction was pouch-vaginal fistula in 21 patients, long outlet in 14, pelvic sepsis in 14, ileoanal anastomotic stricture in 5, pouch-perineal fistula in 2, and chronic pouchitis in 1. The mean operative time was four hours (+/-1.1), the average blood loss was 500 mL (+/-400), and the average length of stay was 10.3 days (+/-4.6). All patients had a diverting ileostomy. Forty-two (73.6 percent) of the patients have a functioning pouch. Seven (12.3 percent) patients have had their pouch excised. The ileostomy has not yet been closed in 8 (14 percent) patients; 3 of these patients are awaiting closure, whereas the remaining 5 have a permanently defunctioning ileostomy. Eighty-nine percent have ten or fewer bowel movements per day. No patients are incontinent of stool during the day, whereas two patients are incontinent at night. Seventeen percent complain of frequent urgency. Despite this, more than 80 percent rate their physical and psychological health as good to excellent. CONCLUSION: Reconstructive pouch surgery has a high success rate in experienced hands. The functional results in those whose pouch is in use are good.

Adult↗

Clinical outcomes and cost analysis of a "fast track" postoperative care pathway for ileal pouch-anal anastomosis: a case control study.

PURPOSE: Traditional length of hospital stay after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis is 8 to 15 days. Fast track rehabilitation programs reduce stay, but there are concerns that readmission and complication rates may be increased. This study evaluated a fast track pathway after ileoanal pouch surgery. METHODS: One hundred three consecutive patients underwent ileal pouch-anal anastomosis on two colorectal services using a fast track protocol with early ambulation, diet, and defined discharge criteria. Direct hospital costs and 30-day and long-term complication data were collected. Patients were matched to controls managed with traditional care pathways by other colorectal staff. RESULTS: Matching was established for 97 patients. Fast track patients had shorter hospital stay than controls (median 4 vs. 5 days; mean 5.0 vs. 5.9, P = 0.012). Readmission and recurrent operation rates were similar (24 vs. 20 percent, P = 0.49, and 9 vs. 10 percent, P = 0.8, fast track vs. control, respectively). Median direct costs per patient (US$) within 30 days were lower with fast track (5692 vs. 6672, P = 0.001), primarily because of reductions in postoperative management expenses. Complication rates, including pouch failure, bowel obstruction, pouchitis, and anastomotic stricture were comparable. Early discharge (< or = 5 days from surgery) occurred in 79 (77 percent) fast track patients. Failure with early discharge was associated with male gender, reoperations, and anastomotic complications. CONCLUSIONS: Fast track protocol after ileoanal pouch surgery reduces length of stay and hospital costs without increasing complication rates. Successful early discharge usually signals a benign postoperative course.

Adult↗

Medical therapies for ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

This review focuses on data reported in the last year on medical treatment of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. In Crohn's disease, a broad range of cytokine-based therapies are currently being tested. Although all are very exciting, the anti-tumor-necrosis-factor (TNF) approach remains the most effective, with infliximab (a chimeric monoclonal antibody directed against TNF) being the most active agent. With repeated infusions every 8 weeks, remission is induced and can be maintained even in refractory patients with no major apparent side effects. Thalidomide, an oral agent with anti-TNF effects, shows promise in non-controlled experience. Important new data on azathioprine/6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) and its metabolites are also helpful. Methotrexate can induce remissions in 6-MP-allergic or refractory Crohn's patients and has now shown efficacy as a maintenance agent. Beneficial effects are also reported for a variety of new agents: mycophenolate mofetil, tacrolimus (FK506), growth hormone, and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). Important observations in ulcerative colitis (UC) over the past year include evidence of a protective effect of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) with respect to colorectal cancer, negative results from a study for heparin monotherapy, and results from a comparison of mycophenolate mofetil versus azathioprine as maintenance therapy. Epidemiologically, the negative association between appendectomy and UC was corroborated in a meta-analysis, suggesting an immunologic role for this organ. Finally, in chronic pouchitis, probiotic therapy was found to maintain remissions very significantly.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

The role of antibiotic and probiotic therapies in current and future management of inflammatory bowel disease.

Abundant evidence indicates that the intestinal microflora have a role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The composition of the gut microflora is altered in IBD patients with increased "pathogenic" bacteria and decreased bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. In light of this dysbiosis, various methods have been examined to alter the composition of the intestinal microflora, including the administration of antibiotics and introduction of probiotic species. This article summarizes studies evaluating the efficacy of antibiotics and probiotics in the induction and maintenance of remission of ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and pouchitis.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Children.

Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis remain medically incurable conditions with potentially significant morbidity. The treatment of children with these conditions therefore should seek to reduce or eliminate symptoms, optimize nutritional status, promote normal growth and development, prevent complications, and minimize the potential psychologic effects of chronic illness. Treatment strategies must seek to both induce and maintain clinical remission. For all but the most mildly affected children with Crohn's disease, a combination of nutritional and pharmacologic approaches is optimal. For those with ulcerative colitis, anti-inflammatory medication is necessary. Moderate to severe Crohn's disease acutely responds best to potent immunomodulatory therapy, eg, corticosteroids and infliximab. Either agent must be coupled with 6-mercaptopurine or azathioprine to maintain long-term remission and to minimize toxicity. Particular attention must be paid to limit the growth suppression and other toxic effects of corticosteroids. Elemental or semielemental enteral nutrition also can induce remission effectively, but relapse is common after primary nutritional therapy is discontinued, mandating concomitant pharmacologic therapy with either 6-mercaptopurine or azathioprine. The availability of 6-mercaptopurine/azathioprine metabolite testing allows optimization of immunomodulatory therapy, detection of noncompliance, and avoidance of potentially dangerous toxicity. Mild ulcerative colitis acutely responds to treatment with a 5-aminosalicylate medication. Long-term remission frequently can be maintained with the same medication. Moderate to severe disease activity requires potent immunomodulatory therapy if colectomy is to be avoided. Surgery is a potential cure for patients with ulcerative colitis, although the development of pouchitis after ileal pouch anal anastomosis is common and frequently requires long-term medical management. Surgery provides only palliative relief of complications in those with Crohn's disease. Emerging therapies, especially evolving biologic and probiotic agents, offer hope for better treatments in the years ahead.

Journal Article↗

Probiotics, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Probiotics are live, microbial food supplements that benefit the host animal by improving intestinal microbial balance. Their major role in preventing and treating gastrointestinal disease appears to be from their effect on the immune process, protection against abnormal invasive bacteria, and in the production of short-chain fatty acids from starch and non-starch polysaccharides. Probiotic microorganisms are administered in food supplements and yogurts. They are also now sold in the form of capsules and powders. There is great variation in the microorganisms in the various supplements. It is important to understand that all probiotic products are different. Some contain a single organism and others contain multiple organisms. Therapeutic results have been achieved with various probiotics in different diseases. In the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), success has been reported with Escherichia coli Nissle strain in ulcerative colitis, and with a multiple organism product, VSL#3 (VSL Pharmaceuticals, Fort Lauderdale, FL), in Crohn's disease and pouchitis. Initial reports in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have resulted in encouraging results with the use of E. coli Nissle strain, and recently with multiple organism probiotic supplements. However, caution must still apply to the use of probiotics in IBD and IBS because the reports and the number of patients treated are limited.

Journal Article↗

Diagnosis and treatment of ileal pouch diseases in patients with underlying ulcerative colitis.

Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) after total proctocolectomy is the surgical treatment of choice for ulcerative colitis (UC) patients with medically refractory disease or dysplasia. IPAA significantly improves quality of life in UC patients who require surgery. However, certain inflammatory and noninflammatory diseases can develop after the surgery, including pouchitis, Crohn's disease (CD) of the pouch, cuffitis, and irritable pouch syndrome. The cause and pathogenesis of these disease conditions of IPAA are largely unknown. Accurate diagnosis and classification are important for appropriate management.

Journal Article↗

Anal sphincter-saving operations for chronic ulcerative colitis.

Three anal sphincter-saving operations--ileorectostomy, ileal pouch-anal anastomosis, and ileal pouch-distal rectal anastomosis--are currently being used in the surgical treatment of chronic ulcerative colitis. All three operations remove the disease, or most of it, and yet they maintain transanal defecation, reasonable fecal continence, and a satisfactory quality of life. All three avoid permanent abdominal ileostomy. Ileorectostomy is the easiest to perform, but it leaves residual disease in the remaining rectum and proximal anal canal that may cause symptoms and that may predispose the patient to cancer. In contrast, ileal pouch-anal anastomosis, although a more technically demanding procedure, totally eradicates the colitis. Its main drawbacks--frequent stooling, nocturnal fecal spotting, and pouchitis--are usually satisfactorily treated with loperamide hydrochloride and metronidazole. Ileal pouch-distal rectal anastomosis is somewhat easier to perform than ileal pouch-anal anastomosis and may result in less nocturnal fecal spotting. Like ileorectostomy, however, the operation leaves residual disease in the distal rectum and proximal anal canal. Considering all of these factors, the ileal pouch-anal operation is preferred today for most patients who require surgery for chronic ulcerative colitis.

Adult↗

Stapled ileoanal anastomosis without a temporary ileostomy.

Stapled J-pouch ileoanal operations were performed in 75 patients (35 men, 40 women; 72 with ulcerative colitis, 3 with familial polyposis) without an ileostomy in 68 (43 taking prednisone, 12 emergent surgery, 8 completion proctectomy with ileostomy takedown). The seven primary ileostomies were due to technical difficulties in two patients and toxic colitis in four patients. No patients were lost to follow-up. Of patients followed for more than 1 month, 96% had perfect daytime control, 86% had no nocturnal accidents, and 73% had no nocturnal spotting. Mucosa between the dentate line and the anastomosis averaged 1.1 +/- 1.0 cm, with the anastomosis at, or below, the dentate line in 16 patients, of whom 14 had excellent continence. Stools in 24 hours averaged 6.9 +/- 0.3, of which 1.8 +/- 0.2 were at night. Stool frequency was unrelated to gender, anastomotic distance from the dentate line, or age; however, patients 50 years of age or older had more problems with nocturnal fecal control than those younger than 50 years of age. Anastomotic leaks (four), cuff abscess (one), pouch leaks (two), and pelvic abscesses (three) were treated with drainage in all patients and ileostomy in five. Pouchitis occurred in 31% of patients and responded to oral antibiotic therapy. Acute complications were fewer, functional pouches greater, stool control better, and overall hospitalization shorter (all p < 0.01) than those in our 63 patients with a mucosectomy and handsewn ileoanal anastomosis.

Adenomatous Polyposis Coli↗

Results of mucosal proctectomy versus extrarectal dissection for ulcerative colitis and familial polyposis in children and young adults.

Over a 5-year period, the authors examined 30 consecutively treated patients, aged 16 years or younger, who underwent total colectomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis, (IPAA) using two different surgical methods. In 16 patients (group I), extrarectal dissection with stapled J pouch and anastomosis was performed. In 14 patients (group II), mucosal proctectomy with hand-sewn S pouch and anastomosis was performed. The mean follow-up period this study was approximately two years (range, 1 to 5 years). With regard to postoperative complications, quality of life, and occurrence of pouchitis, there were no significant differences between the groups. Stool frequency was not significantly different between the two groups, and approached four bowel movements per day at 1 year after surgery. In both groups, daytime continence was achieved by all patients 6 months after surgery. A greater number of patients in group II demonstrated temporary nocturnal leakage than in group I, but this difference was not statistically significant (P = .09). The authors conclude that both methods of IPAA are equally effective in preserving normal sphincter function. In patients with severe rectal inflammation, extrarectal dissection with stapled anastomosis may obviate the need for extended preoperative hyperalimentation or subtotal colectomy, but may carry a small increased risk of recurrent anorectal inflammation. The long-term risk of dysplasia is unknown, but may be slightly higher after extrarectal dissection with stapled anastomosis. Further study of both methods of IPAA is recommended.

Adenomatous Polyposis Coli↗

Anorectal function in children after ileoanal pull-through.

Mucosal proctectomy and ileoanal pull-through is increasingly used in children requiring total colectomy for ulcerative colitis or familial polyposis. Excellent continence can be achieved with this procedure, and it avoids proctocolectomy and permanent ileostomy. We have evaluated prospectively anorectal function in nine consecutively treated children who underwent ileoanal pull-through. Patients were 8 to 17.5 years of age (median, 11.3 years) at the time of surgery; seven had ulcerative colitis, and two had familial polyposis. Anorectal evaluation was performed before colectomy and ileoanal pull-through, following ileoanal pullthrough, after rectal training, and then at yearly intervals. A biofeedback "rectal training" program was instituted 6 weeks after ileoanal pull-through and a contrast study documenting integrity of the pouch. The program consisted of an initial biofeedback session with the motility unit, followed by daily instillations, through a catheter, of progressively larger volumes of water (from 1 to 6 oz, increasing 1 oz per week) into the ileal pouch. Patients were instructed to retain the water and participate in normal activities after the instillation. This protocol acclimated the patient to sensing distension of the pouch and using the sphincters. The follow-up period ranges from 1 to 4.5 years (median, 2.2 years). All patients are continent by day and night. One patient has nocturnal incontinence with episodes of pouchitis. Stool frequency is three to eight movements per day (median, four), with none at night. Preoperative resting rectal sphincter pressures averaged 74.3 +/- 23.1 mm Hg (mean +/- standard deviation), and a maximum squeeze pressure was 93.9 +/- 25.3 mm Hg.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adenomatous Polyposis Coli↗

Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis: state of the art.

IPAA surgery has evolved to assume a major role in the operative management of CUC and FAP. In experienced centres, the safety of performing this somewhat complex procedure, often in gravely ill patients, has been confirmed. A significant decrease in morbidity has accompanied increased experience and simplification of the operative techniques. Two major issues await resolution. The first has to do with the less than totally predictable functional results of IPAA surgery. While many patients do well, others, for no apparent reason, do poorly with excess frequency, urgency and incontinence. Whether operative modifications or preoperative testing can alter this outcome is at this time unclear. The second issue has to do with the potential long-term sequelae of IPAA surgery. Pouchitis and nutritional and metabolic consequences, including the potential for malignant transformation of ileal mucosa or of retained rectal mucosa, cannot be ignored. At present, these risks seem remote but only long-term follow-up will determine whether IPAA surgery deserves its current enthusiasm.

Adenomatous Polyposis Coli↗

Probiotics and nutraceuticals: non-medicinal treatments of gastrointestinal diseases.

The demonstration that immune and epithelial cells can discriminate between different microbial and bioactive plant species has extended the known mechanism(s) of action of nutraceuticals and probiotics beyond simple nutrition and/or antimicrobial effects. The progressive unravelling of these plant and bacterial effects on systemic immune and intestinal epithelial cell function has led to new credence for the use of probiotics and nutraceuticals in clinical medicine. Level I evidence now exists for the therapeutic use of probiotics in infectious diarrhea in children, recurrent Clostridium difficile-induced infections and post-operative pouchitis. Additional evidence is being acquired for the use of probiotics in other gastrointestinal infections, irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease. Not all individual probiotic strains have the same efficacy, and future clinical trials may focus on multistrain preparations agents with known efficacy. The use of nutraceuticals and probiotics as therapeutic agents for gastrointestinal disorders is rapidly moving into clinical usage. Scientific studies are providing mechanisms of action to explain the therapeutic effects, and randomized controlled trials are providing the necessary evidence for their incorporation into the therapeutic armamentarium.

Colorectal Neoplasms↗

Outcome of a conservative approach in severe ulcerative colitis.

BACKGROUND: Severe ulcerative colitis is potentially life threatening even though a policy of intensive medical management and early colectomy in recent years reduced mortality to almost zero. However, colectomy, with or without ileal-anal anastomosis, has its own problems (morbidity, pouchitis, cuffitis) and no reliable prognostic index of surgical outcome has been developed. Intravenous steroids are still the mainstay of medical therapy but their maximal duration before stating a 'treatment failure' has not been defined. AIM OF THE STUDY: To evaluate the effectiveness, safety and outcome of an intensive medical approach in a series of patients with severe ulcerative colitis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred and forty-nine episodes of severe ulcerative colitis in 115 patients admitted to a Gastroenterology Unit in a 7-year period were retrospectively evaluated. Intravenous glucocorticosteroids--methylprednisolone 1 mg/kg/day--and topical steroids were administered, and supportive treatments with intensive monitoring were extended to all the patients. Second-line strategies for steroid-refractoriness were prolonged glucocorticosteroids treatment, oral ciclosporin, infliximab or surgery. RESULTS: The median number of Truelove criteria at admission was 3 (range 2-5), median CRP 34 mg/l (range 10-196). Median follow-up after discharge was 49 months. In 84 (57%) episodes an early response was noted, while 65 (43%) did not respond within 10 days to the standard steroid treatment. In the non-responders group, 28 patients went into remission with a prolonged steroid treatment (slow responders); 15 patients were treated with ciclosporin (eight responders) and 6 with infliximab (four responders). A total of 24 colectomies was performed in this group of patients (in 21 cases within 30 days from admission). Slow responders showed lower albumin levels (P = 0.02), higher cumulative dose of glucocorticosteroids in the year prior to admission (P = 0.02) and higher age (P = 0.03), in comparison with early responders. Major complications were noted in four episodes which responded to medical treatment. Disease-related mortality was zero. CONCLUSIONS: Medical treatment and use of second-line therapies were effective in the present series of patients. A group of slow responders has been identified and, if an intensive medical monitoring is guaranteed, steroids can be safely prolonged after the first 10 days of treatment. Cumulatively, about 80% of the patients responded to short-term medical treatment, only 5% of the patients underwent colectomy in the follow-up period. Major adverse events were recorded in four patients, who had recovered completely after adequate medical treatment.

Adolescent↗

The hazardous burden of Herpesviridae in inflammatory bowel disease: the case of refractory severe ulcerative colitis.

BACKGROUND: Herpesviridae infection or spread may be a hazard in immunodepressed patients. In the field of inflammatory bowel disease, refractory severe ulcerative colitis is a challenging condition, closely associated to immunosuppression both for inanition due to the disease activity and for immunosuppressive treatments. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) has been proposed as a major cause of refractoriness, while other Herpesviridae may be a risk factor in the long-term follow-up. AIM OF THE STUDY: To evaluate the positivity rates of CMV, Epstein-Barr (EBV) and Human herpes virus-8 (HHV8) in a consecutive group of ulcerative colitis patients who underwent colectomy for refractoriness to medical treatment compared to a control group, using state of the art methods. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Colonic specimens from 24 consecutive patients with ulcerative colitis submitted to colectomy for refractoriness and from 20 controls (submitted to colectomy for colorectal cancer) were studied. Standard histology and immunohistochemistry (IHC) for CMV and specific polymerase chain-reaction (PCR) for CMV, EBV and HHV8 were carried out. RESULTS: Regarding CMV, 1 case (4%) was positive at histology and IHC, whereas 3 cases (13%) were positive at PCR, compared to none in the control group (p=0.239). For EBV 2 cases (8%) and 2 controls (10%) were positive at PCR. None of the cases or of controls was positive for HHV8. The only clinical characteristic independently associated to CMV positivity was the white blood cell count at admission, higher among CMV positive patients (p<0.001). At the end of the post-surgery follow-up (median 7.3 years) none of the CMV positive cases experienced pouchitis, compared to 3/21 (14%) of the CMV negative cases (p=1.000). DISCUSSION: Our data suggest that CMV is uncommon (13%), even though PCR techniques, considered to be the most sensitive tools, were used for virus detection and the study population is made by highly selected patients with definite refractoriness. EBV and HHV8 may represent a theoretical risk of immunosuppressive therapy because of their potential role as cancer triggers; however in our study, results seem to be reassuring that UC patients undergoing immunosuppressive therapy are not exposed to an excessive risk of viral infection.

Adolescent↗

Surgical outcome in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis undergoing ileal pouch-anal anastomosis: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: The outcome of restorative proctocolectomy in the setting of chronic ulcerative colitis complicated by primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is not clear. The purpose of this study was to determine the surgical outcome, risk of dysplasia/cancer, morbidity/mortality, long-term results, and functional and quality of life results in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and PSC who underwent restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis and compare them in a case-matched study. METHODS: Patients with PSC-associated IBD undergoing restorative proctocolectomy between 1983 and 2002 were included in the study. This study group was matched for age, gender, diagnosis, duration of disease, anastomosis technique, and proximal diversion to a cohort of IBD patients with no associated PSC who underwent restorative proctocolectomy during the same period of time. Postoperative morbidity, incidence of neoplasia/cancer in the resected specimen, pouchitis, pouch failure, long-term mortality, and 5-year survival rates were compared between the groups. The functional and quality of life records were prospectively collected and compared between the groups. For each group, matched Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was also conducted comparing 5-year survival between the 2 cohorts, matching for diagnosis, duration of disease, age, gender, anastomosis type, and proximal diversion. RESULTS: Sixty-five patients with PSC and IBD underwent restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis during the study period. Two hundred sixty IBD patients with no associated PSC who matched with the outlined criteria comprised the control group. The follow-up period was 68 +/- 50 months for the PSC group and 102 +/- 62 months for the control group. A higher incidence of cancer (14% vs 5%, P = .02) and dysplasia in the resected specimen (40% vs 7%, P < .001), an associated increased risk of postoperative pelvic sepsis (14% vs 5%, P = .02), and higher long-term mortality (35% vs 4%, P < .001) were found in the PSC group compared with control group with no associated PSC. The majority, 13 of 23 (57%), of the deaths in the PSC group were a result of liver disease. Five-year survival for the PSC group was significantly poorer than the 5-year survival for the control group with no associated PSC. No significant differences were found in functional and quality of life results between the groups in the short- and long-term follow-up periods. CONCLUSIONS: PSC-associated IBD patients after restorative proctocolectomy have a higher risk of neoplasia/cancer in the resected specimen, postoperative pelvic sepsis, and higher long-term mortality. Functional and quality of life remains similar in IBD patients after restorative proctocolectomy with or without associated PSC in the follow-up. However, patients with IBD and PSC have a significantly poorer survival than patients with no associated PSC after restorative proctocolectomy.

Adult↗

Probiotics and inflammatory bowel diseases.

The pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases remains elusive. However, the resident luminal bacteria seem to be an important factor in their development and chronicity. There is evidence to suggest that inflammatory bowel diseases may represent an aggressive immunological response to the resident luminal flora, rather than an alteration in the normal flora. In prior research, probiotic bacteria were effective in managing certain acute diarrheal diseases, and investigators reported that certain Lactobacilli strains seem to have protective immunomodulating and bowel flora manipulating properties. We report the results of recent studies with probiotics in animal models, in which promising effects for the treatment of chronic inflammatory bowel disease, pouchitis, and ulcerative colitis were observed. Future research may clarify a precise role for probiotic bacteria in managing chronic inflammatory bowel diseases.

Animals↗