Pregnancy Concerns in Patients with Ileal Pouch Anal Anastomosis for Ulcerative Colitis: Time for Increased Education Across Specialties

Excerpt

Pregnancy is an emotionally charged and physically demanding time in a woman’s life. Patients who have had surgery for ulcerative colitis during their reproductive years provide a unique set of challenges for physicians before and during pregnancy. Pregnant women who have undergone surgery for medically refractory ulcerative colitis, usually total abdominal colectomy with ileal pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA), often have a close relationship with their surgeon and gastroenterologist. The patient’s surgeon, gastroenterologist or obstetrician may provide counseling regarding pre-pregnancy issues and pregnancy management, with the advantage that these specialists may have diverse understanding of and approaches to the issues based on their differing training environments, respective literatures, and practice settings. …