BACKGROUND: Kock’s continent ileostomy is an option after proctocolectomy for patients not suitable for ileal pouch anal anastomosis or ileorectal anastomosis. Ulcerative colitis is the most common indication for continent ileostomy.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term outcome of continent ileostomy.
DESIGN: Retrospective cohort register study.
SETTINGS: Data were obtained from the Swedish National Patient Registry.
PATIENTS: All patients with inflammatory bowel disease and a continent ileostomy were identified. Data on demographics, diagnosis, reoperations, and excisions of the continent ileostomy was obtained. Patients with inconsistent diagnostic coding were classified as inflammatory bowel disease-unclassified.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The main outcome measures was number of reoperations, time to reoperations and time to excision of continent ileostomy.
RESULTS: We identified 727 patients, 428 (59%) with ulcerative colitis, 45 (6%) with Crohn’s disease and 254 (35%) with inflammatory bowel disease-unclassified. After a median follow-up time of 27 (IQR, 21-31) years 191 (26%) patients had never had revisional surgery. Some 1,484 reoperations were performed on 536 (74%) patients, the median number of reoperations was 1 (IQR, 0-3) per patient. The continent ileostomy was excised in 77 (11%) patients. Reoperation within the first year after reconstruction was associated with higher rate of revisions (IRR, 2.90 p < 0.001) and shorter time to excision (HR 2.38 p < 0.001). Constructing the continent ileostomy after year 2000 was associated with increased revision and excision rates (IRR, 2.7 p < 0.001 and HR 2.74 p = 0.013). Inflammatory bowel disese-unclassified was associated with increased revisions (IRR, 1.3 p < 0.001) and the proportion of IBD-unclassified patients almost doubled from the 1980s (32%) to after 2000 (50%).
LIMITATIONS: Retrospective design, data from register. No data on quality of life available.
CONCLUSION: Continent ileostomy is associated with substantial need for revisional surgery, but most patients get to keep their reconstruction for a long time. See Video Abstract at https://links.lww.com/DCR/C122.