Hi Lisa,
Yes, the K pouch (the original continent ileal reservoir ) and the BCIR are excellent alternatives to failed j pouches or for people who already have an end ileo and are having problems (physical or emotional) with it or people who are not candidates for a j pouch for other reasons (no anal sphincter...)
Doesn't matter which procedure you get, the principal is the same...you keep the pouch inside your body (made out of your own small bowel) and remove the waste when you want to with a catheter.
A BCIR or K pouch must be done by an experienced surgeon with a competent team...this is not an approximate surgery that can be done by just anybody. They must be trained.
That is the problem...very few colorectal surgeons wish to be trained in this procedure because it is so delicate to do and mastery or it is difficult.
It lost popularity with the advent of the j pouch (a good thing...it meant that people got to keep their natural exits and not have to carry around a syringe and catheter to empty out...a sort of freedom in itself).
But when j pouches started to fail ( uncontrolable pouchitis, fissures, cuffitis, strictures...) people started to turn to 'other' solutions. Not everyone is capable of facing an ileo with outside bag. Some for physical reasons like skin breakdown with the bag and others for emotional reasons or body image reasons.
Please get the word out there...The more people who ask about it and request it the more surgeons will continue to do the procedure.
Happy to hear that you are alive and well and living your life to the fullest.
Sharon
ps. sorry to sound so preachy!