Purpose: Restorative proctocolectomy has gained increasing popularity in the surgical treatment of ulcerative colitis. However, symptomatic proctitis in an excessively long anorectal stump or high-grade dysplasia within the retained anorectal mucosa can pose challenging problems. A corrective operation for these problems is described.
Methods: A sphincter-preserving perineal approach to mobilize the pouch was described. It allows excision of the inflamed or dysplastic-retained anorectal mucosa, followed by pouch advancement and a neoileoanal anastomosis.
Results: The technique was successfully performed in two patients, one with symptomatic "proctitis" and another with high-grade dysplasia in the anorectal mucosa after a previously stapled ileoanal (distal rectal) anastomosis.
Conclusions: This report illustrates the relative ease and safety of delayed mucosectomy via a perineal approach, provided that the initially stapled anastomosis is within 3 cm to 4 cm of the dentate line. This technique also obviates the need for complex abdominopelvic surgery after previous restorative proctocolectomy.