Diverticular resection

Need to know

• What are the symptoms are diverticular disease? icon plus

  Symptoms of diverticular disease might include:

  • occasional pain in the lower left side of your tummy
  • constipation
  • diarrhoea
  • bloating
  • mucus in your stools (poo)

  Diverticular disease can have similar symptoms to other conditions, so you will usually have tests to rule these out. These might include:

  • blood tests
  • colonoscopy (inserting a camera into your back passage to examine your bowel)
  • CT scan (creating detailed images of your bowel)

• Complications from diverticulitis icon plus

  In severe cases, diverticulitis can lead to complications such as:

  • fistulas (tunnels that develop near the anus)
  • peritonitis (infection in the inner lining of the tummy)
  • hole in your colon (perforation)
  • bleeding from your rectum (bottom)
  • a blockage in your bowel preventing you from passing waste (bowel obstruction)
  • sepsis (serious infection)

  Diverticular resection involves removing the affected part of your large intestine (colectomy) which can be performed through open or laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery.

• After treatment icon plus

  If you had keyhole surgery the cuts are smaller, so your recovery is likely to be quicker than with open surgery, which is a more complex operation.
  
  In some cases, a stoma is also created during surgery. This is an artificial opening on your abdomen made to allow stools (poo) or urine to pass out of the body, and you’ll have a colostomy bag fitted.
  
  The surgery is done while you’re asleep under general anaesthetic. You’ll need to avoid eating and drinking for a few hours before surgery. Our skilled multidisciplinary team is on hand to help to explain the procedure and answer any questions you might have.