Surgical correction of the efferent ileal limb for disordered defaecation following restorative proctocolectomy with the S ileal reservoir

Abstract

Abstract The S ileal reservoir has been superseded in this unit but 76 patients had this operation between 1976 and 1983. Forty-one (54 per cent) patients had to catheterize the reservoir to evacuate faeces and this was primarily due to the long efferent ileal limb. In six patients, the need to catheterize and other problems with defaecation were such that surgical correction of the efferent ileal limb was undertaken. These six patients are reported. Presenting features were the need to catheterize the reservoir, difficulty in catheterizing, faecal incontinence, stenosis of the efferent ileal limb and transanal prolapse of the efferent ileal limb. All patients had an excessively long efferent ileal limb of 8cm or more which was resected and reanastomosed to the anal canal. The resection was performed endoanally in three patients but was successful in only one. In the two patients in whom endoanal excision was unsuccessful and in the remaining three resection of at least 5 cm was performed transabdominally with endoanal reanastomosis. Three of these five patients were converted from catheterizing the reservoir to spontaneous evacuation, but two patients still needed to catheterize. All six patients benefited in terms of the need for, or frequency of, catheterization, or by improvement in continence. Excessive length of the efferent limb of an S ileal reservoir may cause unsatisfactory defaecation, which may be improved by partial resection. The transabdominal route is recommended for the resection, with endoanal reanastomosis. This surgery is potentially problematic and, although no anastomotic leakage was encountered, a covering loop ileostomy is recommended.