It is fortunate today that several alternatives are available for reconstruction of the intestinal tract when proctocolectomy is required in the management of inflammatory diseases of the colon or multiple neoplastic diseases. The Brooke ileostomy proves to be very satisfactory and is acceptable to the majority of patients but does require the continual wearing of an appliance. For patients with chronic ulcerative colitis and a poorly functioning anal sphincter or one that is diseased, a continent ileostomy is the preferred procedure. However, in patients with a normally functioning anal sphincter, an ileoanal anastomosis, most often with a "J" pouch, is the first alternative procedure to be considered because evacuation following this operation is through the normal route and requires no equipment. For patients with granulomatous colitis (Crohn's disease), it seems best to consider only the Brooke type of ileostomy because of the risk of recurrent inflammatory disease involving the ileum. However, for colonic ulcerative colitis and familial polyposis, either the continent ileostomy or the ileoanal anastomosis is the preferred procedure to be considered. Dozois has reviewed in detail the technical aspects of the various surgical procedures, the indications for their use, the results that can be expected, and the comments of many of the contributors to the advances in the management of patients requiring proctocolectomy and one method or another of re-establishing a means for bowel evacuation. With the various alternatives that are available today and the excellent results that can be expected when patients are properly selected, more patients with diseases of the colon and rectum requiring proctocolectomy can be offered the benefits of surgical treatment, returning them to society and improving their quality of life.