[Secondary reconstruction of intestinal continuity following colectomy for ulcerative colitis]

In 37 patients with a clinically and microscopically confirmed ulcerative colitis the rectum was retained after subtotal (n = 29) or left-sided (n = 8) colectomy. In the following 1.6 years in 25 of the 37 patients the rectal stump was removed; in 9 of these cases a straight ileoanal anastomosis was constructed; after 4 years in 4 of the 8 surviving patients the anastomosis has been removed for various reasons. In 12 of 37 patients the rectum was preserved over 10.8 years only in 4 of these cases with rapidly decreasing protectitis the construction of an ileo-rectal anastomosis was possible.