Does Elective Colon Resection Prevent Emergency Surgery for Recurrent Diverticulitis?

For years, surgeons advocated elective sigmoid colectomy in patients who had experienced two episodes of uncomplicated diverticulitis; the rationale was that elective surgery would prevent subsequent episodes of complicated diverticulitis leading to higher-risk emergency surgery. However, starting in 2006, guidelines from the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) have advised against elective “prophylactic” surgery after an arbitrary number of episodes of uncomplicated diverticulitis (Dis Colon Rectum 2014; 57:284).

To determine whether elective colon resection in patients with diverticulitis prevents subsequent emergency surgery, researchers conducted a population-based retrospective study using a hospital database from Wash…