A longitudinal study of quality of life and functional outcome of patients with ulcerative colitis after proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis

PURPOSE: Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis is considered the surgical treatment of choice for patients with ulcerative colitis. It is safe and effective but associated with longterm complications, making functional outcome and quality of life important factors in determining patient outcome. Longitudinal studies on long-term functional outcome and quality of life are sparse. The purpose of this study was to longitudinally evaluate the long-term functional outcome and quality of life of ulcerative colitis patients who underwent proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis. METHODS: The study group was composed of ulcerative colitis patients who underwent pouch operation in our institution between 1990 and 2001 who had filled in quality of life and functional outcome questionnaires 60 months (mean) after ileostomy closure and responded to the same questionnaires at 133 months (mean) after ileostomy closure. They served as their own controls. Quality of life was scored using the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36. Global Assessment of Functioning Scale was used to evaluate functional outcome. RESULTS: Data were obtained for 63 of the 77 patients (82%) who had answered the first questionnaire. The mean interval between responding to the 2 questionnaires was 73 ± 3 months. Functional outcome did not deteriorate over time. Some quality of life scores (bodily pain, general health perception, and the physical component summary) worsened over time, whereas the other scales of the Short Form 36 scores did not change. CONCLUSION: The functional outcome of ulcerative colitis patients after a pouch operation did not change significantly over time. The overall quality of life was generally stable, however, some aspects did deteriorate over time. These findings merit further investigation.