Background and Aims

Failure of ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) occurs in around 10% of the patients. Compared to patients with functioning pouches, health related quality of life is deteriorated after failure. Sexual function in patients with pouch failure is however poorly studied.

The aim was to study sexual function in patients with pelvic pouch failure; patients with functioning pouches were used as controls. The hypothesis was that patients with pouch failure have worse sexual function.

Methods

36 patients with pouch failure were compared with 72 age and sex-matched controls with ulcerative colitis and functioning pouches. The patients answered a set of questionnaires concerning sexual function (Female Sexual Function Index [FSFI] and International Index of Erectile Function [IIEF]), body image (BIS-scale) and health-related quality of life (SF-36).

Results

Both women and men with pouch failure scored lower than controls in the FSFI and IIEF questionnaires. However, none of the observations were statistically significant. The scores in the failure group (for both sexes) were below the cut-off level for sexual dysfunction. Scores for the BIS instrument were significantly lower for both sexes in the failure group. Women and men in the failure group scored lower than the controls in all domains of the SF-36, however statistically significant only for the social function domain in men.

Conclusions

The hypothesis, that a failed IPAA is associated with worse sexual function, was not confirmed. Compared to patients with functioning pouches, patients with pouch failure have inferior body image.