[Small intestine pouches as a therapeutic principle in stomach and large intestine replacement]

Small bowel pouches are being utilized in several versions as substitute reservoirs after total gastrectomy and after continence preserving proctocolectomy. Throughout the world, most frequently the pouch is formed by simple duplication of the gut. The principles of reservoir formation, the special functional requirement in the upper and lower GI-tract are delineated. Follow-up studies prove the successful use of gastric and ileoanal pouches.