Sexual activity after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis in Japanese patients with ulcerative colitis.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the sexual activity after restorative proctocolectomy with ileal J-pouch-anal anastomosis (ileoanal anastomosis) in Japanese patients with ulcerative colitis.

METHODS

Sixty-one patients who had undergone ileoanal anastomosis and were followed for at least 6 months after surgery were randomly selected. Their quality of life was assessed using the Japanese version of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire. Scores of three or less for the item "Sex life" were predetermined to represent poor sexual activity. The medical staff then asked them the reasons for this using a non-structured interview and open-ended questions.

RESULTS

Overall, 19 patients reported poor sexual activity. There was a significant difference in the scores for "Social functions" other than Sex life between individuals with poor and good sexual activities (21.6 ± 4.6 vs. 24.1 ± 4.2, P = 0.016). Ileoanal anastomosis after the age of 40 (OR 22, P = 0.02) and a total preoperative corticosteroid dose ≥15 g (OR 7.4, P = 0.04) were significant risk factors for poor sexual activity after ileoanal anastomosis.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that ileoanal anastomosis results in relatively poor sexual activity, which was associated with other social functions, older age and a higher dose of corticosteroids administered to Japanese patients with ulcerative colitis.