J-pouch Removal?

Hi all, with a diagnosis of aggressive ulcerative colitis, I had a colectomy and an ileoanal anastomosis surgery (j-pouch) in 1983. Over the years I would be hospitalized every so often due to blockages, typically from eating the wrong food - steer clear of water chestnuts! Thirty-five years later, the J-pouch failed.

In an earlier post, someone mentioned a change in her diagnosis from UC to Crohn's. That happened to me too. Had the earlier disease been diagnosed as Crohn's, they probably wouldn't have done the initial procedure. During my first visit to Mayo Rochester, my GI doctor said she didn't think I had Crohn's. So, whatever...

The pouch failure became an emergency. My surgeon - not at Mayo - detached the j-pouch and created an ileostomy. At one of my post-surgery meetings with him, he casually mentioned that I would probably want to have the abandoned j-pouch removed.

I have had the ileostomy for 6 years now. (I'm willing to discuss that with anyone with questions.) My question is, Has anyone received the same advice or gone ahead and had their J-pouch removed?

I am being evaluated as a candidate for a kidney transplant in November, and I don't want that non-functioning organ taking up precious space that might be needed for the new kidney - or as an excuse for "difficult anatomy."

Thanks for "listening." - Dave