Usefulness of Laparoscopic-assisted Surgery for the Treatment of Colonic Diverticulitis.
- Author:
Seok Hyo HA
1
;
Gyu Sung KIM
;
Hae Chang JO
;
Jung Ahn RHEE
;
Byung Jo BAE
Author Information
1. Department of Surgery, Daegu Fatima Hospital, Daegu, Korea. bae4908@hanmail.net
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Diverticulitis;
Colonic;
Colectomy/method
- MeSH:
Appendectomy;
Appendicitis;
Cecum;
Colon*;
Diagnosis;
Diet;
Diverticulitis;
Diverticulitis, Colonic*;
Enema;
Female;
Humans;
Korea;
Length of Stay;
Male;
Mortality;
Peptic Ulcer Perforation;
Peritonitis;
Postoperative Complications;
Retrospective Studies;
Surgical Procedures, Operative;
Tomography, X-Ray Computed;
Ultrasonography
- From:Journal of the Korean Society of Coloproctology
2004;20(1):20-26
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: Colonic diverticulitis was rare in Korea in the past. However, it is progressively increasing probably because of a prolonged life span and a westernized diet pattern. Especially, right-sided colonic diverticulitis is difficult to differentiated from acute appendicitis. The purpose of this study was to verify the usefulness of laparoscopic-assisted surgery for the diagnosis and treatment of colonic diverticulitis. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 65 patients with colonic diverticulitis who underwent surgery from January 1998 to December 2002. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 36.3 years. Males were more prevalent than females (1.6:1). Abdominal ultrasonography (USG) was used as a diagnostic tool in 40 cases (61.5%), abdominal USG with colon enema in 8 cases (12.3%), and abdominal USG with abdominal CT in 4 cases (6.2%). The preoperative diagnosis was acute appendicitis in 52 patients (80.0%), perforated diverticulitis in 10 patients (15.4%), peritonitis in 2 patients (3.5%), and peptic ulcer perforation in 1 patient (1.5%). The postoperative diagnosis was simple diverticulitis in 47 cases (72.3%). The cecum was the most commonly involved area (55 cases, 84.6%). The types of open surgery were an appendectomy in 17 cases (26.1%), a right hemicolectomy in 17 cases (26.1%), a cecectomy in 6 cases (9.2%). The types of laparoscopic- assisted surgery were an appendectomy in 17 cases (26.1%), a laparoscopic-assisted right hemicolectomy in 4 cases (6.2%), and an anterior resection in 1 case (1.5%). The postoperative complication rate was 11.9% (5 cases). All of these occurred with the open technique, but no statistically significant difference existed between the complication rates for the two operative procedures (P=0.158). The mortality rate was zero for both operative procedures. The length of hospital stay (4.72+/-4.3 vs 10.1+/-6.2)(P=0.001) was significantly shorter in the laparoscopic-assisted group than in the open group. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative diagnosis is sometimes difficult in patients with colonic diverticulitis. We consider laparoscopic-assisted surgery to be a useful diagnostic and therapeutic modality in such cases. The laparoscopic technique offers particular advantages to diverticulitis patients because of the short hospital stay and the low morbidity and mortality rates.
