Management of surgical complications of small-bowel diverticulosis

Abstract

Introduction: Diagnosis of complications of small bowel diverticulosis is difficult in the emergency setting and often delays surgical management. The aim of this study was to report our experience with seven patients presenting with a surgical complication of small-bowel diverticulosis.

Patients and methods: From January 1, 1995 to June 30, 2001, 7 patients presenting with a complication of small-bowel diverticulosis were included in this retrospective study. The mean age of the patients was 73.1 years. Complications were bleeding in 4 cases and diverticulitis with perforation and abscess formation in 3 cases.

Results: The time between complication onset and its management was 20.6 days. Among paraclinical examinations small-bowel barium opacification showed diverticulosis in 4 cases. Other investigations such as endoscopy or CT-Scan imaging studies were used to eliminate other causes of acute abdomen. Patients were operated on in all cases and a segmental small bowel resection was performed in all cases while in one patient, a diversion stomy was performed. One patient died following septic peritonitis treatment.

Conclusion: Small-bowel diverticulosis is unfrequent. In cases of gastrointestinal haemorrhage or occlusion, diagnosis is performed by eliminating other more frequent causes. If emergency surgery is not required, barium opacification seems to be the most sensitive examination.