The treatment of perforated diverticulitis by one-stage intracolonic bypass procedure.

The one-stage intracolonic bypass procedure prevents gastrointestinal secretions and fecal content from coming in contact with an anastomotic site without interrupting the intraluminal continuity of the fecal flow from proximal to distal colon. This can be achieved by the intraluminal implantation of a soft, pliable tube above the anastomotic site. Previous clinical and experimental data have indicated that the intracolonic bypass procedure can protect an anastomosis in the presence of maximal colonic loading, gross dehiscences, or fecal peritonitis. This report presents 28 patients with perforated diverticulitis, all of whom were treated by one-stage intracolonic bypass procedures. Ten of the 28 patients had peritonitis, and 18 had pericolic abscesses. Results indicate no deaths and no anastomotic leakages. Three patients (10.7%) had a complicated postoperative course. One patient with fecal peritonitis had prolonged ileus and a pulmonary effusion, and one had a myocardial infarction. Both of these patients responded to medical therapy. Another patient had a wound infection. The hospital stay ranged from 10 to 18 postoperative days. All patients passed the tubes spontaneously 2 to 3 weeks after operation. The one-stage intracolonic bypass procedure can be recommended as a viable alternative to the two- or three-stage procedures commonly used for perforated diverticulitis.