Elective surgery for diverticular disease: an audit of surgical pathology and treatment.
BACKGROUND
There is a need for a better classification of the surgical pathology of diverticular disease treated by elective resection.


METHODS
A prospective audit was conducted over a 25-year period, during which the surgeon studied the surgical pathology. The results of surgical treatment have been related to the pathology.


RESULTS
Two hundred and six patients were managed by elective resection with a postoperative mortality of 1.0% and a total morbidity of 51.5%. The surgical pathology was classified as: non-inflammatory 25 (12.6%), localized diverticulitis 90 (43.7%) and extracolic diverticulitis 90 (44.2%).


CONCLUSIONS
This classification is useful to relate the technical requirements of surgery and the outcome to the surgical pathology. Postoperative morbidity is associated with the presence and severity of inflammatory pathology and therefore the casemix of any series will have a significant impact on this aspect.
Killingback
Mark
M
Sydney Adventist Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. killingback@bigpond.com.au
Barron
Prudence E
PE
Dent
Owen F
OF
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004238:Diverticulitis / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D004241:Diverticulum, Colon / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013520:Urologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods