Can someone please advise me how long a J-Pouch would last for and what circumstances would cause a J-Pouch Failure to occur.

G

if you click find and type in statistics of J-pouch you will find a thread
i don't know how to paste it here

The j-pouch should last as long as any other part of you. It is not like a spare part that would "wear out," because it is your own tissue. Pouch failure occurs due to chronic pouchitis, Crohn's disease of the pouch, or other functional problems. Those cases add up to about 10-15% of the total cases. If you have Crohn's disease, that greatly increases your risk of pouch failure, and that is why Crohn's is generally considered a contraindication of this surgery. However, sometimes Crohn's is not diagnosed until after the surgery. Pouch failure does not occur due to age and it can occur early or late. It all just depends.

Here are some links for you to read:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18489884?ordinalpos=...anel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15658141?ordinalpos=...les&logdbfrom=pubmed

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17571291?ordinalpos=...anel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

Jan

On the other hand, I have had chronic pouchitis and have been antibiotic dependent for 13 years and the situation has not deteriorated. I wonder if and when I will get off the antibiotics, but the structural integrity of the pouch is good. I am hoping it lasts until I die, at least.

Good point. Chronic pouchitis or Crohn's are not absolute indicators of future pouch failure. They just increase your risk.

Jan

How are we defining failure here, though? I mean, my pouch still works great, but I'm getting rid of it anyway. It's just that my anus is damaged enough from fistulas that it doesn't work too well. Is that technically a pouch failure?

Okay, what options do you have if you are diagnosed with a pouch failure?

Can the surgeons create another J-Pouch for you with what's left of the small intestine?
If not what other options do you have?

G

Hubby (SteveJ) had his first J pouch removed and a new one created just like the first one. The reason (if I recall because it's been 13 years ago) was that the first pouch had become too large and was chronically inflamed (pouchitis).

He has had a few problems with the 2nd pouch but is basically doing pretty darn good! Both surgeries were done at UCLA Medical Center.

I spoke to someone before my surgery (on my surgeon's recommendation) who had her pouch for about 20 years. She provided great information but did tell me she was going back to an colostomy bag because she was leaking more with no resolution. I don't mean leaking internally, but anally at night and during the day - her sphincters weren't as strong as they once were. She had no other complications but the leaking was annoying and she wanted to make the change. I wouldn't call that a pouch failure but it was her sphincters.

I think pouch failure is defined as anything that would lead to pouch removal, regardless of if that meant a pouch re-do or ileostomy. If your sphincters fail, and that leads to pouch removal, then that's pouch failure, because you can't get good pouch function.

Jan

I had my original pouch built in 1985 then had a total revision in 1988 after I had a baby.So this pouch has been functioning for 20 years. I do have a stricture that has to be dialated yearly.I do take probiotics (right now vsl#3)which I really do think have helped me with frequency & consistency. I have no bloating or gas.My last scope Oct.2008 did show chronic inflammation,but I don't feel like I have pouchitis.My GI doc told me to increase the vsl#3 and I am going to be scoped again & biopsies taken next month to rule out any pre-cancer or cancer.I was told by my surgeon that if this pouch failed I could not have another built.My only option would be a permanant ileostomy.