title: [Indications and long term results of elective surgery for sigmoid diverticular disease].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are no clear guidelines for the indication of elective surgery in sigmoid diverticular disease.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the indications and long term results of elective surgery in sigmoid diverticular disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review of 100 patients (age range 25-86 years, 51 male) with sigmoid diverticular disease, operated in a lapse of 22 years. Sixty seven patients answered a survey about their disease at the end of follow up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among patients aged more than 70 years, there was a higher proportion of women. The main indication for surgery was recurrent diverticulitis in 54 patients, followed by diverticular fistula in 19. A sigmoidectomy was performed in 91 patients. Stapled anastomosis was performed in half of these patients. No patient died or required reoperation in the immediate postoperative period. During a follow up ranging from 8 to 280 months, 28 patients died for causes not associated with diverticular disease and five were lost. Those patients that answered the survey were free of symptoms related to diverticular disease and did not require new operations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with sigmoid diverticular disease and recurrent diverticulitis or with fistulae, the long term results of surgery are satisfactory.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Cirugía, Hospital Clínico San Borja Arriarán, Campus Centro, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile. gbannura@vtr.net
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bannura
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Contreras
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Melo
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barrera
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Soto
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mansilla
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003082:Colectomy; D004239:Diverticulitis, Colonic / Q000601:surgery*; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012810:Sigmoid Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric