2-Stage and 3-stage restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis show comparable short- and long-term outcomes.

Restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) represents the standard treatment for therapy-refractory, malignant or complicated ulcerative colitis (UC) and can be performed as a 2-stage or 3-stage procedure. This study aimed to compare the short- and long-term outcomes after 2- and 3-stage IPAA in patients with UC in our department. A retrospective analysis of 176 patients with UC who received 2- or 3-stage restorative proctocolectomy with IPAA at our institution from 2001 to 2021 was performed. Outcomes for short-term (morbidity, longer hospital stay, readmission) and long-term (pouch failure and quality of life) parameters were compared between the 2- and 3-stage procedure. Regarding short-term outcomes for all patients, in-hospital morbidity and readmission rates after any surgical stage were observed in 69% and 24%, respectively. Morbidity and readmission did not differ significantly between the 2- and 3-stage procedure in uni- and multivariate analysis. Median length of hospital stay for all stages was 17 days. The 3-stage procedure was identified as an independent factor for longer hospital stay (OR 3.8 (CI 1.3-10.8), p = 0.014). Pouch failure and failure of improved quality of life during long-term follow-up occurred both in 10% of patients, with no significant differences between the 2- and 3-stage procedure in uni- and multivariate analysis. Our data suggest that both the 2- and 3-stage proctocolectomy with IPAA demonstrate favourable and comparable postoperative short- and long-term outcomes, with a high rate of improved quality of life in patients with UC.