Laparoskopische therapie der divertikulitis

Laparoscopic colectomy for diverticulitis is the main indication for laparoscopic surgery in benign colorectal disease. We prospectively analyzed data on 156 patients undergoing surgery between 11/93 and 12/98. Conversion rate was 14.7% (n =23). 133 patients were treated in a laparoscopically- assisted fashion. Among these, 114 underwent sigmoid resection, in 4 cases left hemicolectomy was necessary, in 5 cases an anterior resection, and in 10 patients a Frykman-Goldberg procedure was performed. Complications occurred in 14.3%. Most of these (n = 12, 9.0%) could be treated conservatively. No significant relation between grade of inflammation and rate of conversion or complication could be demonstrated. On the other hand, there was a statistically significant reduction of OR time and in-hospital stay between 1993 and 1998. The results demonstrate that a laparosopic approach to sigmoid diverticulitis is a safe procedure and a viable alternative to conventional resection via laparotomy.