[Colonic diverticulosis: which patients need surgery?]

Diverticular disease has become a very common condition in elder and more recently in younger patients in western countries that emerged at the turn of the 20th century and since then has become epidemic. An increasing incidence and an earlier onset of the disease lead us to update the current therapeutic indications, especially for surgery in elective condition. Whereas elective colectomy was performed for poorly documented suspicions of diverticulitis in the past, a positive diagnosis of diverticulitis on CT scan is needed. Therefore, indications for colectomy are restricted to patients with medical history of related endocarditis, diabetes mellitus, proven structural abnormalities of collagen, immune deficiency, after a second episode of diverticulitis requiring at least an hospitalisation or after a single complicated diverticulitis (abscess, fistula, stricture). A two-months delay between symptoms and surgery is suitable, and permits to perform preoperatively a colonoscopy in a safe condition to rule out concomitant adenoma or colonic cancer. There is no randomised trial of open versus laparoscopic colectomy in this specific indication. As the lesions of resected colon became more severe due to restricted indications, laparoscopic approach will require more surgical skill and conversion rate might increase. In selected cases, open surgery should be preferred.