Blood and urinary changes in patients with ileostomies and ileorectal anastomoses

Biochemical investigations done on the blood and urine of currently healthy, uncomplicated patients previously treated by either proctocolectomy and ileostomy or colectomy and ileorectal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis were compared with estimations on matched controls. The most striking finding was the reduced urine volume, and to a lesser extent its sodium content, in patients with ileostomies. The urinary pH indicated persistent acidity in postoperative patients but this was also a remarkably constant feature in control subjects. These findings are in agreement with other studies related to the occurrence of urinary calculi after colectomy and ileostomy, and are consistent with the contention that there is a lower incidence of calculi after ileorectal anastomosis.