The new digital ESCP & EHTG ‘Ileal Pouch Series’, running over the next few weeks on the Advances In Surgery (AIS) global video platform, provides invaluable detailed insight from some of the most pouch-experienced international colorectal experts.


The tips and tricks of maintaining excellent sphincter functionality including application of specific new techniques and technologies such TaTME, ICG, neuromonitoring among others are discussed honestly and critically.

The course at ESCP Nice 2018, which features in the series, was led by Baljit Singh, Gianlucca Pellino and Gabriela Möslein and was supported by Johnson & Johnson and Inomed.

Gabriela Moslein 1The current chair of EHTG, Professor Gabriela Möslein comments as follows:

"Ileoanal pouches have been around for more than 35 years and are perceived as an excellent procedure - for the correct medical indication! Most ileoanal pouches are constructed for patients with ulcerative colitis that fail medical management. The other patient group comprises those with a hereditary condition to colorectal cancer. In the light of increasing diagnoses being made through genetic testing, which is now more broadly available, it is important for colorectal surgeons to understand which patients with polyposis syndromes (not only familial adenomatous polyposis - FAP) or Lynch syndrome actually require this very extensive procedure and which patients deserve and benefit from less surgery.

"Despite evolution of the procedure in experienced departments, there are important differences in practice that may be underestimated in relation to their patient outcomes. The patients with a hereditary condition are less ill and may not require a deviation as routine. The size of a pouch and specifically the technique of anastomosis may determine the logevity of a pouch over time. Depending on the source, 10-25% of ileoanal pouches will fail and therefore an additional focus of the course are the different salvage techniques, such as a pouch advancement as a minimally invasive TaTME procedure or the almost-forgotten but very valuable Kock pouch or continent ileostomy.

"The bottom line it is the importance of discuss small differences in surgery, that may be underestimated – “The Devil is in the Detail“ which is why this series is so useful for the international colorectal community – both for primary construction and surgical solutions for the event of failure."

Recorded at the EHTG and ESCP Annual meetings in Nice last year, the educational video series features some of the best content from the conference programme on this topic. Presentations on the Ileal pouch formed a large part of the conference, ten speakers offered an insightful, educational and persuasive discussion on the anatomy. These speeches were invaluable, invigorating discussion and collaboration between ESCP and EHTG members.

AIS has a global reach and therefore facilitates further colorectal teaching and training from some of the biggest names in the field. The series is running from late July to the end of October with episodes released weekly on a Tuesday.

The last episode on continent ileostomy is a great introduction to the ESCP European School of Coloproctology Workshop on pouches and continent ileostomies to be held at the J&J Institute in Hamburg mid-November.

Click here for more information on this hands-on event.

Watch the latest episode of the pouch educational series on www.aischannel.com

Tune in to catch the rest of the series:

  • 20 August: Pouch for FAP: Near-TME Plane of dissection is better - Antonino Spinelli, MD
  • 27 August: Pro-Con: plane of dissection close dissection is better - Roel Hompes, MD
  • 3 September: Pouch: can fluorescence angiography be of any help? - Antonino Spinelli, MD
  • 10 September: Mucosectomy & hand-sewn anastomosis: the Japanese long-term experience - Nagahide Matsubara, MD PhD
  • 17 September: Ileoanal pouch anastomosis: does size matter? - Willem Bemelman, MD PhD
  • 24 September: Vascular supply: dissect Ileocolic vessels as a routine? - Peter Kienle, MD
  • 1 October: Intraoperative monitoring of pelvic autonomic nerves during pouch surgery to prevent urogenital and anorectal dysfunction: any evidence? - Werner Kneist, MD
  • 7 October: Diagnosis and treatment options for the failing pouch - Andre d’Hoore, MD PhD
  • 15 October: Redo anastomosis for cancer in a previous proctocolectomy patient - Antonio de Lacy, MD FASCRS (HON)
  • 22 October: What to do with the leaking pouch - Willem Bemelman, MD Ph
  • 29 October: Is continent ileostomy an option? - Gabriella Möslein, MD

Look out for the digital ESCP & EHTG ‘Ileal Pouch Series’, running now on www.aischannel.com, which provides invaluable detailed insight from some of the most pouch-experienced international colorectal experts. The series is supported by J&J and Inomed.

ESCP Affiliates