[Therapy of choice in complicated diverticulitis?].

Between 1988 and 1992 we treated in our hospital 79 patients with a complicated diverticular disease. We analysed and compared two groups (group A 42 cases January 1988 to February 1991/retrospectively, group B 37 cases March 1991 to December 1992/prospectively). We studied our operative procedure in respect to the postoperative morbidity and lethality, the number of performed and persistent stomata and the mean length of stay. The complications of diverticular disease in both groups were similar. Since March 1991 we performed primary resection with primary anastomosis in 89% of the patients, three-stage resection or primary resection with an anastomosis and a proximal colostomy was no more done. The Hartmann procedure was rarely chosen (only in 4 of 37 patients). In spite of forcing the primary resection with a primary anastomosis in group B, the complication rate (local and general) decreased from 35.7% to 29.7%, the lethality rate from 9.5% to 2.7%. The number of performed stomata showed a great difference with 22 in group A against 4 in group B. The mean length of stay was 31 versus 22 days. Therefore we consider primary resection with an anastomosis for the best therapy in complicated diverticular disease.