How successful if j pouch

It has a pretty high success/satisfaction rate. I have read stats showing 90-95% of j pouch patients are happy with their j pouch. That's pretty much across the board and I did A LOT of research before surgery. This procedure is very complex and needs to be done by a highly skilled and experienced surgeon. That's when you get your good results. I'm very pleased with my j pouch and I also have two family members with j pouches who are happy with theirs as well.

I've been at two CCFA meetings where two people had the j-pouch. They said it was like still having UC. One decided to get a reversal. I myself has issues with the rectal stump and had to have it removed and my anus sewn shut. If you're getting it due to IBD...it all depends on how bad the disease is in the rectal/anus area. Mine was very distal and severe.

I personally didn't want the j-pouch due to the 3 steps and the probability of it not working and having it reversed. You can always start with having the 1st step and see how you do. My surgeon set me up as a possible j-pouch later on...even though I didn't want one.

This was also my first operation..ever! Just having the colon removed was an eye opener. Having the anus remove was worst for me...actually!

If considering a j-pouch make sure they examine a rectum/anus area very carefully to ensure there's limited or no active disease down there. I'm not too sure on how the success ratings were calculated. It may be different for IBD patients compared to cancer patients. I think they lump everyone in together and it may affect the overall results.

Personally I would have been alot better if I have the full removed done at once. I figured the only difference is weather you have a bag or not. Nobody can even tell if you have a bag and the routine of maintaining it is alot more manageable than having IBD!

Best surgeon are important but traveling has it's own issues.

I traveled 3 hours to have my surgery but if you have complications you may not be able to travel and wind up at the local ER with surgeons who doesn't want to deal with another surgeon's aftermath.

I had this issue and have reported a surgeon. The surgeon is now being invested but the state's Dept of Health. Even my lawyer told me to get it down where you can easily travel back to in case of emergencies. Luckily for me Johns Hopkins is only 50 miles away. So I had my 2nd surgery done there. They were very comfortable with doing the procedure.

Also make sure you're surgeon will be around for a while. After my first surgery, my surgeon retired. Experience comes with years but if you get someone with 20-30+ years experience ask if they expect to retire soon.

Best of luck to you!