Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2004 Aug;17(3):183-6.
doi: 10.1055/s-2004-832700.

Elective surgical treatment of diverticulitis

Brett T Gemlo  1
Affiliations

Elective surgical treatment of diverticulitis

Brett T Gemlo. Clin Colon Rectal Surg. 2004 Aug.

Abstract

Elective surgical resection in cases of diverticulitis should be offered to patients who have experienced two episodes. High-risk patients such as immunocompromised individuals or transplant patients may warrant resection after one episode. It is controversial whether young patients or patients with right-sided diverticulitis need to be treated differently. Chronic diverticulitis can be successfully treated surgically in selected cases. Adequate surgical resection margins should include the top of the true rectum and the proximal extent of thickened inflamed colon to minimize the risk of recurrence. Careful operative planning and the use of proximal diversion if unsuspected significant inflammatory changes are encountered will improve surgical outcomes.

Keywords: Diverticular disease; elective surgery; patient selection; right-sided diverticulitis; temporary diversion.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Parks T G. Natural history of diverticular disease of the colon. Clin Gastroenterol. 1975;4:53–69. - PubMed
    1. Farmakis N, Tudor R G, Keighley M R. The 5-year natural history of complicated diverticular disease. Br J Surg. 1994;81:733–735. - PubMed
    1. Wong W D, Wexner S D, Lowry A, et al. Practice parameters for the treatment of sigmoid diverticulitis—supporting documentation. The Standards Task Force. The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. Dis Colon Rectum. 2000;43:290–297. - PubMed
    1. Wolff B G, Devine R M. Surgical management of diverticulitis. Am Surg. 2000;66:153–156. - PubMed
    1. Makela J, Vuolio S, Kiviniemi H, Laitinen S. Natural history of diverticular disease: when to operate? Dis Colon Rectum. 1998;41:1523–1528. - PubMed