“Can diverticulitis require intestine removal?”
I'm 50, and my doctor thinks I have diverticulitis. He said that if tests confirm it, I will probably have to get surgery. Can diverticulitis require intestine removal?
6 Answers
Diverticulitis episodes most of the time can be managed with antibiotics. Recurrent ones or those with rupture frequently require surgical intervention.
Yes, normally.
In general, if this is your first episode of diverticulitis, the consensus is surgery is not necessary if the antibiotics work. The old guidelines are being superseded by antibiotic management even for recurrences. Clearly, there is more involved in making a decision to have surgery. Find a trusted gastroenterologist, surgeon, or internist.
Dr. Oday Obaid
Surgeon
Sometimes. If it is a simple diverticulitis it usually does not require any surgery or bowel removal. recurrent or complicated diverticulitis like those with abscess or perforation may require surgery in the interim in which part of the bowel where the diverticulum is may need to be removed
It depends, and some of it depends on the age of your doctor. Traditional teaching recommended surgery after the first episode. Newer teaching is variable depending on your symptoms and severity of presentation.
If you have a perforation or abscess, surgery is recommended. If you are admitted for IV antibiotics, surgery is suggested. If your diverticulitis can resolve with antibiotic pills alone, you may be able to avoid surgery.
If you have a perforation or abscess, surgery is recommended. If you are admitted for IV antibiotics, surgery is suggested. If your diverticulitis can resolve with antibiotic pills alone, you may be able to avoid surgery.
Not definitely. It depends on how many or how often your acute episodes are occurring. If this was your first attack and you don’t have other complications, Surgery is NOT dictated.
