Proctocolectomy and ileal pouch–anal anastomosis for the treatment of collagenous colitis

The role of surgery for collagenous colitis (CC) is unexplored. Either diverting stoma, subtotal colectomy with ileo-rectal anastomosis, and proctocolectomy with ileal pouch–anal anastomosis (IPAA) have been proposed. However, the optimal surgical strategy still needs to be defined. The aim of this short report is to report our experience with two cases of IPAA for CC. Two patients affected by histologically proven CC with watery diarrhea refractory to several lines of medical treatment underwent a laparoscopic proctocolectomy with IPAA at a tertiary referral hospital for the treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Belgium. A longer rectal cuff was left in place because of the absence of macroscopic inflammation of the rectal mucosa and the consequent negligible risk of cuffitis. No postoperative complications (90 days) occurred. Definitive pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of CC. At six months, pouchoscopy revealed no signs of inflammation. One year after surgery, mean Öresland and Pouch Functional Score were 10.5 (8–13) and 11.5 (9–14). Functional outcomes after IPAA for CC were barely satisfactory. A high stool frequency not responding to high doses of anti-diarrheals was observed. This has also previously been reported for CC patients receiving a diverting stoma. Proctocolectomy and IPAA for medical refractory CC leads to acceptable short-term gastrointestinal functional outcomes which seems to be particularly affected by high stool frequency. For this reason, pouch surgery might not be the optimal indication for collagenous colitis.