Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a relapsing and remitting inflammatory disease of the colon that affects approximately 250,000 people in the United States and carries a significant disease burden with a negative impact on quality of life (QoL). Despite the advances in medical treatment for UC, surgery is still required in approximately 20% of the patients. The standard surgical procedure for UC patients requiring a colectomy is ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA), which improves QoL and patient satisfaction. Surgery-associated adverse sequelae such as pelvic sepsis, pouch strictures, and pouchitis have a negative impact on QoL in patients with IPAA. Early diagnosis and treatment of these conditions is imperative to prevent pouch failure and further long-term adverse effect on QoL.
