Diverticulitis
Diverticulitis is the inflammation of an abnormal pouch (diverticulum), usually located in the colon/large intestine. The presence of these diverticuli (diverticulosis) is common in western cultures with roughly 50% of the population over the age of 50 possessing diverticuli. Simply having diverticuli is not a problem, but the infection/inflammation that creates diverticulitis is dangerous because the colonic tissue becomes friable and can perforate, creating a potentially life threatening condition known as peritonitis. Diverticulitis can usually be managed with bowel rest and antibiotics, but recurrent bouts of diverticulitis or perforation typically require operative management.
The surgical procedure to treat diverticulitis is to remove the diseased part of the intestine. Often this can be done with a laparoscopic assisted approach. The surgeons at Loveland Surgical Associates can provide more detail about this procedure.
|
|