Diverticulitis Support Group

Yes. However, my "episode" lasted almost 4 months. The oral antibiotics wouldn't touch it and they finally admitted me for 7 days of IV antibiotics. Lost 60 lbs in the process. A month later, had a sigmoid resection, removing 18 inches of colon. That was 3/25/08, and today I am better than new...no further attacks and can eat anything I want...and the weight is back, too :-( Surgery is scary and has its risks, but if they can do it laparoscopically, recovery is quick and pain is minimal. In 2 weeks, I was back to work (desk job). Good luck.

Hello Debraz,

If you are a "normal" young person with diverticulitis, you are not getting updated information. The American College of Surgeons now recommends sugery after 4 attacks. Young people are only slightly more likely to get more than one attack that older (of 50). The reason the number of attacks has been pushed out is that you have slighlty less than an 80 percent chance of never being attacked again. The first attack is the one that has the worst complications for most people. Surviving that is the hardest.

The surgery is needed for complications, but it carries a lot of risks includling death or live long chronic pain. I will post the lastest surgery recommendations and hard data supporting my opinion.

I have no medical training or expertise.. I have had 4 attacks of diverticulitis and now on medication to prevent attacks.

Stay Tuned.

John

This one spells out what top research Docs like mine feel now:

http://diverticulitis.researchtoda...

Here is one that says younger patients are really just like older patients:

http://diverticulitis.researchtoda...

Patients can suffer from the surgery:

http://diverticulitis.researchtoda...

More on Younger patients:

http://diverticulitis.researchtoda...

More on outdated 2 strikes rule:

http://diverticulitis.researchtoda...

General:

http://diverticulitis.researchtoda...

Here is what your Docs should be talking about if you have a second attack:

http://diverticulitis.researchtoda...

Very little support for surgery in NON complicated 2 strikes (under 40 is more at risk):

http://diverticulitis.researchtoda...

Most do well WITHOUT surgery:

http://diverticulitis.researchtoda...

Pain after surgery (messed this up in the previous post)

http://diverticulitis.researchtoda...

Surgeons recommend surgery. See several top Gastro Docs that are up on the lastest research. My doc has diverticulitis and started the research with the drug that I am on. It is called Mesalazine. He is head of Yale Clinical Gastro and a teaching research professor - heck of a nice guy to. Come to New Haven, CT for the best.

I cannot find the American College of Surgeons recommendation that stated surgery for NON Complicated Diverticulits should be considered after 4 attacks but I am 100 percent sure they advocate that.

Here is presentation by them on the subjest, but uou have to buy it:

http://web2.facs.org/cc_program_pl...

My Doc says that is wrong. He says surgery is ONLY for complications. An attack that cannot be arrested with antibiotics is a complication. You are only slightly more risk for that than an older person.

PS, I can show you lots of other information that shows elective surgery is a very poor first choice, It should be a last choice for NON complicated diverticulitis.

There is research that shows that surgery in an emergency situation is far more dangerous than in an elective setting. What many miss is that the emergency surgery is perfomed 80 percent of the time on people that never had a previous attack!! You are already over that big jump.

I'm 33, and I have had 4 attacks in 14 months. Surgery is scheduled for October 30. I've never heard of the age cut off, but you have to trust your doctor. Go for a second opinion to put your mind at ease and to at least find out what your options are. Don't let anyone pressure you in any direction.

My doctor did say that traditional medicine used to indicate that surgery was required after 1 epidsode; however, things have changed. Now, even with two episodes, it's not recommended. But the younger you are with regular attacks, then you meet the criteria for surgery because the likelihood is that if you have it multiple times in a year, you're going to continue to have it and the pouches will get weaker. If that happens, the risks can increase for all kinds of complications such as peritonitis and fistula development. You don't want an emergency surgery--it's much worse, typically won't be done laparoscopically, the hospitalization is much longer, etc. It doesn't hurt to get a second or third opinion before you make any final decisions.

Sounds all good to me Savingfamilies.

A rule of thumb that sounds good to me is 2 attacks in 1 year, or 3 in two years is cause to seek intervention - could be medical or surgical. The direction of the attacks is important too. If the 3rd attack in 2 years is worse the the previous 2, then one is probably losing the battle and needs intervention. The other direction and you might be getting over this. Many do if given the time - the surgeons are kept at bay.

Reading Debraz post again, I think her Gastro Doc is on board with current ACS recommendations. It is the surgeons that are itching to cut.

The strange thing about or disease is the risk of peritonitis is less for mulitiple attack victims than it is for people that will get attacked but have not been attacked yet. A person with 11 attacks is at lower risk for peritonitis than person getting sick for the first time. The exception to this is that multiple attack victims that have elective surgery have an 11 percent chance of a leak from the surgery - peritonitis (depends on my factors like the surgeon being a board certified colorectal surgeon etc). The surgery carries far more risk for the worst outcome than the disease does in multiple attack victims.

Fistual formation seems to be tied to people that smolder, which is almost another disease. These are the people that never get healthy bewteen attacks. Inter attack health is very important criteria for surgery. They tend to continue being attacked after surgery too. Again, it is another form of the disease from what I have read. I struggle to understand.

We need to be divided into 3 groups to get the best care - 1 attack (most), multi-attacks (me), chroniclly sick. If we knew how to predict which group we fell into, life would be easier for us. The answers will come from how our immune systems respond to threats. My immune system is over-active and needs to be turned down a notch.

hmm, i had a resection after my sigmoid perforated. the surgeon tried 3 days of iv antibiotic therapy before he gave up and operated. so, i'd say surgery isn't always necessary even when it would seem the only option.

i didn't have any real pain before the surgery, i just felt ill. after the surgery the six or eight inch incision wasn't fun but it wasn't too bad. i was tired for a long time but that was more from not being able to eat than the surgery.

since i had regular surgery and not laparoscopic i was unable to drive for 2 wks, and unable to work for 6 - i have a physically demanding/dangerous job.

i too lost weight, the surgeon said i'd gain it back but i haven't, and i lost more after the surgery. i'm not complaining though, i needed to lose those 15 lbs.

unlike scoutldr i can't eat anything i want. if i eat too much fiber i get a flare and it does hurt. i feel like i've eaten glass and am running to the bathroom. i'm trying to figure out how much fiber i can eat before i get ill. like most disorders it's a little different for everyone.

my last thought is that if you choose not to have the surgery now you can always opt for it later if the problem recurs and you find it difficult to deal with. the surgeon told me i didn't have much choice, the infection wasn't responding but other than that even with the perforation i could have opted not to have surgery. the perforation had encapsulated so apparently wasn't leaking - i'm not sure i would have been comfortable with that situation but the point is even in that situation surgery wasn't the first option.

whatever you decide i hope it turns out well for you.