Diverticulitis of the colon; surgical treatment

Appropriate surgical treatment of diverticulitis of the colon can result in a highly satisfactory proportion of permanent cures, with an operative mortality of 2 to 5 per cent. Colostomy is a valuable emergency procedure for the control of severe infection or the relief of obstruction but is not a satisfactory definitive treatment for the cure of diverticulitis. Definitive surgical treatment requires resection of the involved segment of colon. Three indications for surgical intervention in "uncomplicated" diverticulitis are: (1) continued or repeated attacks, (2) persistent deformity as seen by x-ray examination, and (3) persistent blood in the stools. Although a three-stage operation is usually considered a safer procedure, one-stage resections may be safely and satisfactorily employed in many instances.