A study found that while the long-term risks for recurrent acute diverticulitis are limited after colectomy, medically treated patients have similar outcomes, according to findings published in the British Journal of Surgery.
Researchers recruited patient from 17 surgery centers from 1996-1999 and were able to collect follow-up data for 474 of the original 743 patients. They found 21.9 percent of medically treated patients had persistent chronic symptoms compared to 16.2 percent of the surgically treated patients. They also found medically treated patients were three times more likely to have one or more hospital admission for recurrent acute diverticulitis than patients who had surgery. During 12 years of follow-up, 8.3 percent of medically treated patients had emergency surgery compared with 1.9 percent of surgically treated patients.
Despite the better outcomes among the surgically treated patients, the researchers noted that the recurrence of acute diverticulitis was low in both groups and that "colectomy did not fully protect against recurrence."
Related Articles on Gastroenterology:
Fecal Immunochemical Test Now Available to Patients at Home
Global Gastrointestinal Device Market to Reach $14.6B
Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Device Market Expected to Hit $2.7B by 2018
Researchers recruited patient from 17 surgery centers from 1996-1999 and were able to collect follow-up data for 474 of the original 743 patients. They found 21.9 percent of medically treated patients had persistent chronic symptoms compared to 16.2 percent of the surgically treated patients. They also found medically treated patients were three times more likely to have one or more hospital admission for recurrent acute diverticulitis than patients who had surgery. During 12 years of follow-up, 8.3 percent of medically treated patients had emergency surgery compared with 1.9 percent of surgically treated patients.
Despite the better outcomes among the surgically treated patients, the researchers noted that the recurrence of acute diverticulitis was low in both groups and that "colectomy did not fully protect against recurrence."
Related Articles on Gastroenterology:
Fecal Immunochemical Test Now Available to Patients at Home
Global Gastrointestinal Device Market to Reach $14.6B
Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Device Market Expected to Hit $2.7B by 2018