Diverticular Disease

Diverticulosis is the presence of small pockets that extend out from the surface of the colon (diverticula). Diverticular disease is when the diverticula cause problems and is more common in patients with poor diet, constipation, and advancing age.

Diverticular disease is becoming an increasingly more common condition, with more people being diagnosed with the disease at younger ages than in the past. When the diverticula rupture or become inflamed this is called diverticulitis and leads to pain which is often localised to the lower section of the abdomen. Most of the time the symptoms will resolve on their own, but it is not uncommon for antibiotics to be required, especially in patients who are unwell.

In rare circumstances emergency surgery may be required to remove the affected section of bowel. There are also circumstances in which a planned operation is required such as when the inflammation narrows the bowel down or causes other organs to be affected.

Most cases performed by Dr Mackrill are laparoscopic (keyhole) including the anastomosis (where the two parts of the bowel are joined back together). This means that the affected segment of bowel can then be removed via a small incision just above the pubic area. This reduces the amount of pain a patient is in after surgery and reduces the risk of hernia formation (a common issue in patients with larger incisions used in partially laparoscopic surgery and open surgery). Less post op pain results in a quicker recovery and less time in hospital. However, because of the inflammation and anatomy distortion due to the diverticular disease there is a higher risk of needing to do part or all of the operation via a larger cut.