Functional results of coloanal anastomosis with reservoir

Functional results in 33 patients who underwent a coloanal anastomosis with reservoir were prospectively evaluated three months after colostomy closure and later (16.2 +/- 5.7 months) and were compared with those of 36 healthy controls. We were unable to demonstrate any significant difference between patients and controls concerning frequency of stools, feeling of the need to defecate, continence of stools and flatus, differentiation between flatus and feces, urgency, and need to wear a protective pad. There was a statistically significant difference concerning the ability to evacuate, which was better in the control group (score = 1.03) than in the patients (score = 1.63) (P less than 0.001). These results suggest that coloanal anastomosis with reservoir provides nearly normal function except for the ability to evacuate.