Use of the de Pezzer catheter to facilitate endoanal pull-through during ileal pouch-anal anastomosis.

ABSTRACT

Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis is now the treatment of choice for selected patients requiring proctocolectomy for benign mucosal disease of the large intestine. Pelvic sepsis continues to be a major postoperative complication. This is often subsequent to the technical complexity of the intestinal pull-through and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis. We report the use of the de Pezzer catheter to facilitate this often difficult reservoir pull-through during restorative proctocolectomy. This is an inexpensive and simple aid which has consistently helped to decrease operative difficulty, especially where pelvic access is restricted. By enabling the avoidance of clamps and tissue forceps, it has reduced the incidence of contamination and tissue trauma. It has enabled pull-through without undue tension on the reservoir and has facilitated postoperative drainage of the reservoir.