[Recommendations for treatment of diverticular disease]

Diverticular disease is of major clinical and health economic importance in Germany. Treatment recommendations in many international guidelines have changed significantly in recent years. The German national S2k guidelines are currently being revised.

To summarize the most important clinical aspects in the management of diverticular disease from a surgical perspective.

The recommendations were compiled based on current national and international guidelines and a selective literature search.

Acute uncomplicated diverticulitis without risk factors can be treated on an outpatient basis without antibiotics. For patients with complicated diverticulitis, hospital admission with parenteral antibiotic treatment is recommended. In the case of abscess formation >5 cm, percutaneous drainage can be performed. The indications for immediate sigmoid resection are free perforation and failure of conservative treatment. Elective resection is indicated in chronic recurrent diverticulitis with complications; all other indications are increasingly based on the individual quality of life of the patient.

Uncomplicated diverticulitis is increasingly being treated on an outpatient basis and without antibiotics. Apart from emergency settings, the indications for surgery are increasingly dependent on the quality of life. Elective sigmoid resection should be performed as laparoscopic surgery with primary anastomosis after obtaining results of computed tomography and total colonoscopy.