[Surgical therapy of diverticular disease at the Waid City Hospital, Zurich, 1980-1990]

Our experience with 431 patients suffering from diverticular disease is presented. Indications for emergency (severe bleeding, bowel obstruction, sigmoid perforation with peritonitis) and elective surgery (recurrent attacks of diverticulitis or bleeding, painful or obstructing diverticular disease, fistula, impossibility to exclude a cancer) are given. Resection of the perforated sigmoid by the Hartmann procedure helps to reduce mortality markedly for diffuse purulent and fecal peritonitis. A resection with primary anastomosis can be performed with equal safety for a more localised peritonitis. Aggressive indication for elective surgery helps to lower mortality and morbidity in symptomatic diverticular disease.