Restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) has become standard surgical treatment of choice in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) in which the medical management fails. Despite the wide use of laparoscopic method, the enhanced and innovative features that come with the robotic platform, such as endo-wrist technology, 3D visualization, surgeon-controlled camera and motion scaling, make it an appealing choice. This study aims to investigate the feasibility and safety of robotic approach for proctectomy or proctocolectomy with IPAA as compared to conventional laparoscopic approach. A systematic review was completed for studies done between 2010 and 2022 comparing the robotic approach with the laparoscopic approach. Nine studies were found to be feasible to be included in this review. In terms of the outcomes, although the mean operating time was slightly higher than the laparoscopic approach, the other outcomes, such as mean blood loss, return of the bowel movement, mean hospital stay, and conversion to open, were found to be significantly lower in the robotic approach as compared to both laparoscopic and conventional open techniques. Despite the overall increased rate of complications combined from all the studies, the rate of significant complications such as anastomotic leaks requiring readmission and return to theater was also found to be substantially less. This study concludes that although robotic approach is in its initial stages for pelvic surgeries, it can be safely employed due to improved dexterity and visibility.

Following restorative proctocolectomy with an ileal pouch-anal anastomosis, the small bowel mucosa undergoes several specific histologic adaptions, which may be unrelated to the underlying disease or symptoms of pouchitis. An increase in intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) has not been described as part of this spectrum. Mucosal biopsies of the ileal pouch and afferent limb of 230 patients (mean age: 45.7y [18.3-74.7], gender [female/male]: 117/113) with a functioning ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (mean time since ileostomy closure: 10.8months) and associated clinically annotated outcome data were assessed for IELs/100 enterocytes. Forty-two patients (18.3%) showed an increase in IELs (≥20 IELs/100 enterocytes [range 20-39]), in pouch and/or afferent limb biopsies. Intraepithelial lymphocytosis was more commonly observed in afferent limb compared to pouch biopsies (18.8% vs 8.3%; P = .42) and in familial adenomatous polyposis compared to ulcerative colitis patients (16% vs 8%; P = 0.36), but neither difference reached statistical significance. No cases with increased IELs displayed severe villous blunting. Increased IELs were not significantly associated with age, sex, ethnicity, smoking history, time since ileostomy, use of antibiotics, biologic agents, anti-diarrheal agents or probiotics, C-reactive protein levels or differential white cell count. None of the 42 patients with increased IELs had positive celiac serology (anti-human tissue transglutaminase IgA [ELISA] with corresponding total serum IgA). Intraepithelial lymphocytosis in pouch biopsies may represent a subclinical response to an altered bacterial microenvironment. Pathologists should be aware that intraepithelial lymphocytosis is part of the spectrum of changes in pouch biopsies, and only rarely is due to celiac disease.