title: Surgery for diverticulitis in the 21st century: a systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Diverticulitis of the sigmoid colon is an increasingly common disease. Patterns of care and management guidelines have significantly evolved in recent years.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To review and classify the primary data published since 2000 that are guiding decision making, technical considerations, and the outcomes of surgery for sigmoid diverticulitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched the National Guideline Clearinghouse, PubMed, and Cochrane databases for studies pertaining to the diagnosis and management of chronic and recurrent diverticulitis from January 1, 2000, to March 31, 2013. We supplemented this automated search with references drawn from included studies and PubMed. We rated the level of evidence according to American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 68 studies meeting inclusion criteria for final review. The studies were almost exclusively observational and had limited certainty of treatment effect. We found that complicated recurrence after recovery from an uncomplicated episode of diverticulitis is rare (<5%) and that age at onset younger than 50 years and 2 or more recurrences do not increase the risk of complications. Chronic symptoms may persist even after resection in 5% to 22% of patients. Prophylactic surgery is generally not recommended for average-risk patients with diverticulitis, irrespective of the number of episodes of acute, noncomplicated disease. Decisions to proceed with colon resection should be based instead on the patient-reported frequency and severity of diverticulitis symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prior standard for proceeding with elective colectomy following 2 episodes of diverticulitis is no longer accepted. Decisions to proceed with colectomy should be made based on consideration of the risks of recurrent diverticulitis, the morbidity of surgery, ongoing symptoms, the complexity of disease, and operative risk. Laparoscopic surgery is preferred to open approaches. Recent evidence suggests that existing guidelines should be updated.
authors.affiliation: Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
authors.forename: Scott E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Regenbogen
authors.affiliation: Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
authors.forename: Karin M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Hardiman
authors.affiliation: Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hendren
authors.affiliation: Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
authors.forename: Arden M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Morris
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D003082:Colectomy / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004239:Diverticulitis, Colonic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000639:trends*; D012008:Recurrence; D012810:Sigmoid Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed