Complicated diverticular disease of the colon, do we need to change the classical approach, a retrospective study of 110 patients in southeast England

This is a retrospective study of all patients who were admitted to the surgical ward between May 2002 and November 2006 with a diagnosis of complicated diverticular disease. A proforma of patients' details, admission date, ITU admission, management outcomes and the follow up were recorded from the patients case notes and analyzed. The mean follow-up was 34 months (range 6–60 months)The mean age of patients was 72.7 years (range 39–87 years). Thirty-one men (28.18 %) and Seventy-nine women (71.81%) were included in this study. Male: female ratio was 1:2.5.Sixty-eight percent of patients had one or more co-morbidities. Forty-one patients (37.27%) had two or more episodes of diverticulitis while 41.8% of them had no history of diverticular disease.Eighty-six percent of patients presented with acute abdominal pain while bleeding per rectum was the main presentation in 14%. Constipation and erratic bowel habit were the commonest chronic symptoms in patients with history of diverticular disease. Generalized tenderness was reported in 64.28% while 35.71% have left iliac fossa tenderness. Leukocytosis was reported in 58 patients (52.72%).The mean time from the admission until the start of operative intervention was 20.57 hours (range 4–96 hours). Perforation was confirmed in 59.52%. Mortality was 10.90%. Another 4 (3.63%) died during follow up for other reasons.Complicated diverticular disease carries significant morbidity and mortality. These influenced by patient-related factors. Because of high mortality and morbidities, we suggest the need to target a specific group of patients for prophylactic resection.Complicated diverticular disease is defined as diverticulitis with associated abscess, phlegmon, fistula, stricture or obstruction, bleeding, or perforation [1-3]. Hinchey's classification of acute diverticulitis is including a phlegmon (stage Ia), localized abscesses (stages Ib and II), free perforation with purulent (stage III) or feculent peritonitis (stage IV) [4].