[Indications and long term results of elective surgery for sigmoid diverticular disease]

There are no clear guidelines for the indication of elective surgery in sigmoid diverticular disease.

To analyze the indications and long term results of elective surgery in sigmoid diverticular disease.

Retrospective review of 100 patients (age range 25-86 years, 51 male) with sigmoid diverticular disease, operated in a lapse of 22 years. Sixty seven patients answered a survey about their disease at the end of follow up.

Among patients aged more than 70 years, there was a higher proportion of women. The main indication for surgery was recurrent diverticulitis in 54 patients, followed by diverticular fistula in 19. A sigmoidectomy was performed in 91 patients. Stapled anastomosis was performed in half of these patients. No patient died or required reoperation in the immediate postoperative period. During a follow up ranging from 8 to 280 months, 28 patients died for causes not associated with diverticular disease and five were lost. Those patients that answered the survey were free of symptoms related to diverticular disease and did not require new operations.

In patients with sigmoid diverticular disease and recurrent diverticulitis or with fistulae, the long term results of surgery are satisfactory.