IMPORTANCE OF LAPAROSCOPIC TECHNIQUE IN ELECTIVE SURGERY FOR SIGMOID DIVERTICULITIS

The full significance of laparoscopic technique in elective surgery of sigmoid diverticulitis has yet to be determinated. However, it seems worthwhile to evaluate how minimally invasive surgery could be integra ted into the surgical treatment of diverticulitis disease. Between Jan uary 1995 and August 1996, 26 patients with sigmoid diverticulitis und erwent elective surgery. Following diagnostic laparoscopy, seven patie nts were treated with primary conventional resection. 15 patients with laparoscopic resection and four patients with laparoscopic-assisted s urgery. One laparoscopic resection had to be converted to a median lap arotomy. Postoperative complications (n=2) only appeared in the group of conventional resections. Conventional resections required less time than laparoscopic or laparoscopic-assisted resections, but postoperat ively, patients with laparoscopic resection were able to defecate soon er and required a shorter hospital stay. For 60% of the patients with diverticulitis disease of the colon, elective laparoscopic resection m ay prove to be the best alternative of surgical treatment. In selected patients it is a sound technique with a low complication rate. We rec ommend that all patients with diverticulitis disease requiring electiv e surgery undergo diagnostic laparoscopy to determine whether or not l aparoscopic resection is a viable option.