QUALITY-OF-LIFE - LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP AFTER ILEOANAL POUCH PROCEDURE FOR ULCERATIVE-COLITIS AND FAMILIAL ADENOMATOUS POLYPOSIS

After ileal pouch-anal anastomosis in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), quality of life is a r elevant factor for the assessment of the operation's success, in addit ion to postoperative morbidity and functional outcome. Between 1982 an d 1995 restorative proctocolectomy was performed in 453 patients (UC: n = 332; FAP: n = 121) at the Department of Surgery, University of Hei delberg. We studied postoperative quality of life through a longterm f ollow-up study (median follow-up time 43.2 months). This study 1 year or more following ileostomy closure of persons who had undergone J-pou ch anastomosis (n = 243 total; UC n = 185, FAP n = 58) revealed that a t the time of follow-up, the underlying disease (UC versus FAP) and su ccessfully treated complications are without influence on the quality of life. The patient's age (P < 0.01) and the presence of unsuccessful ly treated complications (P < 0.0001) showed a significant influence o n the quality of life. There was a distinct relation between the funct ional index and the quality of life index (coefficient of correlation r = -0.714). However, quality of life, comparable to that of healthy c ontrols, can be achieved with UC and FAP patients by restorative proct ocolectomy only if postoperative complications can be avoided or are s uccessfully treated.