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Diverticular Disease In A Nutshell
Table of Contents
Diverticulosis occurs when small bulging pouches or small blisters appear along the lining of your large intestine or colon. These are known as diverticula, and do not cause any symptoms.Diverticula are most commonly found in your colon, which is the lower part of your large intestine. It is common especially if you are 40 years old and above, and seldom causes problems.
Diverticulosis happens as you age, as your large intestine becomes weaker with age. The weak places of your colon give way under the pressure of hard stools passing through your large intestine. This results in the formation of bulges which protrude through your colon wall.
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Diverticulitis is when one or more of these small pouches or blisters gets infected or inflamed.
Diverticulitis can be very painful and requires treatment.
Often, diverticulitis is caused when a hard stool or undigested food is trapped in one or more of the pouches and blocks the pouch, Bacteria in the stool quickly multiplies and spreads, resulting in an infection.
Am I at risk of developing diverticulitis?
Risk factors of diverticulitis include:
Common symptoms of diverticulitis include:
Do consult your doctor immediately should you have any of the above symptoms.
Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and perform a physical examination to check for pain and tenderness in your abdomen and blood in your stool. Following that, you may be scheduled for further tests such as:
Complications may occur in up to a quarter of people with diverticulitis.
Diverticulitis may result in:
Surgery is necessary for patients with persistent bleeding or complications as mentioned above, especially if these do not respond to antibiotics. Surgery is also recommended for patients with frequent and repeated attacks of diverticulitis which may disrupt one’s daily life. Patients with a weakened immune system which makes them more susceptible to infections may also be recommended to undergo surgery. Sometimes, surgery may be carried out in emergency cases where there is a perforation (hole) in the bowel and you experience severe abdominal pain.
Surgery has proven to be highly beneficial for those with recurrent episodes as it prevents the possible complications if left untreated. Around 11 in 12 people have no recurrence of symptoms after surgery.
Surgery for diverticulitis may involve drainage of any pus and resection, where the part of your intestine which contains the infected diverticula is surgically removed. This prevents future episodes of diverticulitis.
There are two main types of surgery to treat diverticulitis, namely, a primary bowel resection and a bowel resection with colostomy.
A primary resection is a procedure whereby your surgeon removes the diseased segments of your intestine and reconnects the healthy segments, which is called anastomosis. This enables you to have normal bowel movements. You will be advised to have open surgery or a laparoscopy, depending on the extent of your inflammation.
A bowel resection with colostomy is performed if you have a large amount of inflammation which makes it not possible to reconnect your colon and rectum. In these cases, a stoma (opening) in your abdominal wall is connected to the healthy segment of your colon. This allows waste to pass through the opening into a bag. After the inflammation has gone down, the colostomy may be reversed and your bowel rejoined.
G&L Surgical Clinic will do our best to provide you with an estimate of your out-of-pocket expenses before your procedure. With a comprehensive financing service, we endeavour to assist you in finding the most suitable financing option to enjoy a seamless and pleasant experience. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions. We are here to help you get the care you need.
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