The problem of diverticulitis; surgical management.

The disease of diverticulitis now is encountered with increasing frequency due to the increasing average age of our population. Low mortality following resection and anastomosis and the excellent results after this procedure have broadened the indications for operation in this disease. From 1942 to 1955, 160 such operations for diverticulitis of the sigmoid colon were carried out at the Massachusetts General Hospital with a mortality of 3 per cent. The results, except in the few cases where too conservative a resection was carried out and a secondary operation was necessary to produce a cure, have been excellent.