Efficacy and Safety of Endoscopic Balloon Dilatation of Ileoanal Pouch Strictures

Background and aims: Colectomy with ileoanal pouch is the standard of care for most patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) who require surgery. However, 5%-38% of patients with ileoanal pouch develop pouch strictures that can severely impact the functional results. We retrospectively evaluated the efficacy and safety of endoscopic balloon dilation of ileoanal pouch strictures in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods: All consecutive patients with IBD that underwent endoscopic balloon dilatation of a pouch stricture at our institution between January 1, 2011, and April 31, 2016, were included. Clinical, endoscopic, and surgical variables were collected retrospectively. Stricture-related pouch failure was defined by the need for surgical management of pouch stricture including pouch excision, diversion ileostomy, or stricturoplasty. Secondary outcomes included technical success, clinical success, and safety. Results: Eighty-eight endoscopic balloon dilatations were identified in 20 patients. Sixty percent of patients were female, with a median age at ileoanal pouch of 28.6 years (interquartile range [IQR], 25.5-37.2). Ileoanal pouch was performed for UC in 95% of cases; 95% of patients underwent J pouch; and 65% had a stapled anastomosis, whereas 35% had a handsewn anastomosis. Strictures were diagnosed at a median of 4.6 years (0.2-10.6) after surgery, and half of patients were symptomatic. The most frequent location of stricture was the anal-pouch anastomosis (87%). Half of patients were found to have associated pouchitis, 4 (20%) had at least 1 fistula, and 5 (25%) had ulcerations of the pouch. At the end of follow-up, 6 patients (30%) underwent a change in diagnosis from UC to Crohn's disease (CD) of the pouch, and in 1 patient (5%) a diagnosis of ischemic stricture was made. A median of 3.5 dilatations per patient (IQR, 2.0-7.0) were performed. Technical efficacy was observed in 87 procedures (98%). Twenty-two procedures were preceded by obstructive symptoms, and a clinical improvement after endoscopic balloon dilatation was observed in 95% of cases. After a median follow-up of 3.0 years (2.1-3.5), only 1 patient had stricture-related pouch failure. After the first dilatation, 4 patients were hospitalized for obstructive symptoms. Conservative management with another endoscopic balloon dilation was clinically effective in all cases. No major complications related to dilation were observed. Conclusion: Endoscopic balloon dilatation of ileoanal pouch strictures is largely effective and safe and can be recommended as the first line strategy to treat ileoanal pouch strictures in patients with IBD.