[Perforated colonic diverticulitis. Surgical technique]

Emergency surgery is required for performed colonic diverticulitis. Surgical indications are not uniform in literature. In the experience of the authors the operations have been performed in the case of peritonitis subsequent to the perforation or in the case of failure of the conservative treatment. Twenty-four patients underwent surgical intervention because of diffuse (17 cases) or localized peritonitis (7 cases). Exitus were related to cardiovascular complications in patients over seventy. Postoperative results are related to the age, the general conditions of the patient and to the intraoperative finding, of localized or generalized peritonitis. Operations may be divided into two groups: conservative procedures or primary resections. In the first one it is possible to suture the colonic wall without resection; in the second one the intraoperative finding or the extensive necrotic lesions indicates colonic resection or exteriorization. The surgical treatment adopted is correlated both to the age and cardiorespiratory conditions and to the other associated diseases.