IPAA in Known Preoperative Crohn's Disease: A Systematic Review

Crohn's disease is a relative contraindication to IPAA due to perceived increased rates of pouch failure.

This study aimed to determine pouch functional outcomes and failure rates in patients with a known preoperative diagnosis of Crohn's disease.

A database search was performed in Ovid Medline In-Process & Other NonIndexed Citations, Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, Ovid Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Ovid Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

The published human studies that reported short-term postoperative outcomes and/or long-term outcomes following IPAA in adult (≥18 years of age) Crohn's disease populations were selected.

Ileal pouch anal anastomoses were constructed in patients who had Crohn's disease diagnosed preoperatively or through proctocolectomy pathology.

The primary outcomes measured were long-term functional outcomes (to maximal date of follow-up) and the pouch failure rate.

Of 7019 records reviewed, 6 full articles were included in the analysis. Rates of pelvic sepsis, small-bowel obstruction, pouchitis, anal stricture, and chronic sinus tract were 13%, 3%, 31%, 18%, and 28%. Rates of incontinence, urgency, pad usage in the day, pad usage at night, and need for antidiarrheals were 24%, 21%, 19%, 20%, and 28%, and mean 24-hour stool frequency was 6.3 bowel movements at a mean 69 months of follow-up. The overall pouch failure rate was 15%; no risk factors for pouch failure were identified.

This investigation was limited by the small number of studies with significant study heterogeneity.

In patients with known preoperative Crohn's disease, IPAA construction is feasible with functional outcomes equivalent to patients with ulcerative colitis, but, even in highly selected patients with Crohn's disease, pouch failure rates remain higher than in patients with ulcerative colitis.