Quality of life after restorative proctocolectomy with pelvic ileal reservoir

Fifty-five patients who had undergone restorative proctocolectomy with a pelvic ileal reservoir between 3 and 82 months previously were sent a detailed questionnaire to assess their quality of life. All patients had experienced an ileostomy at some time. Fifty-one (94 per cent) returned completed questionnaires. The average frequency of evacuation from the reservoir was four times per 24 hours. Antidiarrhoeal medication was required by 14 (27.4 per cent). Continence was normal in 32 (62.7 per cent) and only 3 (5.9 per cent) had troublesome faecal leakage. Twenty-two (43.1 per cent) evacuated stool spontaneously, while 24 (47.1 per cent) needed to catheterize the reservoir for each evacuation. Four patients who had had the reservoir removed were added to the 51 responders to give a total number of 55 whose quality of life was considered in this study. The reservoir was preferred to an ileostomy with regard to confidence (87 per cent), cleanliness (89 per cent), sexual self-image (87 per cent), social (85 per cent) and sport activity (87 per cent), and ease of carrying out work (84 per cent). The overall preference was 87 per cent. Thirty-four (66.7 per cent) felt there was no significant disadvantage associated with the reservoir, while 10 (19.6 per cent) saw the long convalescent period and 9 (17.6 per cent) the requirement for catheterization as drawbacks.