The Lister Hospital
Chelsea Bridge Road, SW1W 8RH London
Diverticular resection
SURGERY TO REMOVE PART OF COLON AFFECTED BY DIVERTICULITIS
Diverticulitis can lead to complications that may require surgery. HCA UK experts explain more about the treatment.
What is diverticular disease?
Diverticular disease is a digestive condition where small bulges (diverticula) form in the lining of your intestine and lead to problems, like tummy pain.
Sometimes, the bulges can become infected and inflamed, which is called diverticulitis. In extreme cases it can require a diverticular resection, where part of the affected area is removed.
Need to know
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)
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.
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.
Our Diverticular resection locations
The Portland Hospital
205-209 Great Portland Street W1W 5AH London
The Wellington Hospital
8A Wellington Place NW8 9LE London
The Wilmslow Hospital
52-54 Alderley Road SK9 1NY Wilmslow
London Bridge Hospital
27 Tooley Street SE1 2PR London
The Harley Street Clinic
35 Weymouth Street W1G 8BJ London
The Princess Grace Hospital
42-52 Nottingham Place W1U 5NY London
Devonshire Diagnostic Centre
Devonshire Street W1G 7AF London
The Shard Outpatients
The Shard, 32 St Thomas Street SE1 9BS London
London Digestive Centre
41 Welbeck Street W1G 8EA London
Private Care at Guy's
London Bridge Hospital Private Care at Guy's SE1 9RT London
Patient stories
Yvette's story: From back pain to hip replacement surgery
Yvette (54) a journalist from Kent, started experiencing pain in her hip seven years ago in 2015. An ex-national gymnast who had been incredibly active and flexible her whole life, Yvette felt concerned about the growing discomfort impacting her quality of life, and so sought help from her GP.
A new hip and straight back into the spin of things
David’s gym video shows him repeatedly pushing up to 100kg on a single leg press – not particularly unusual for this keen cyclist, former competitive squash player and all-round fitness enthusiast. What is unusual is that 52-year-old David had hip surgery just 12 weeks earlier.
Michael's MAKO hip surgery to treat his arthritis
73 year-old Michael, an avid walker and charity worker, was diagnosed with arthritis in January 2021. After facing long waiting times and increasing pain that was becoming more frequent, he started to look elsewhere for treatment.
This content is intended for general information only and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional.