Should elective colectomy be routine following percutaneous drainage of a diverticular abscess?

Management of Diverticulitis in Renal Transplant Patients

BACKGROUND

Renal transplant patients presenting with diverticulitis remain a clinical challenge for health care professionals. Secondary to immunosuppression, renal transplant recipients are often considered for early operative intervention due to concerns for an unreliable physical exam and feared morbidity and mortality associated with non-operative management.

METHODS

This study aimed to evaluate trends in management of renal transplant patients with diverticulitis at a quaternary referral center.

RESULTS

One hundred ninety-one renal transplant patients admitted to the hospital with diverticulitis were identified. Of this cohort, 71 (37%) underwent surgical resection, of which 20 (28%) were performed emergently. The overall 30-day operative mortality was 8% (6/71), of which there was a significant difference between emergent (25%, 5/20) and elective (2%, 1/51) groups (P = .006). Patients who underwent elective surgery were more likely to receive a minimally invasive approach (51%) and were significantly more likely to undergo stoma reversal (P = .006).

DISCUSSION

Our study shows that not all renal transplants with diverticulitis will require operative intervention and many can be safely treated non-operatively. Elective resection and surgical management should be considered on an individual basis. Patients treated with elective resection were more likely to undergo a minimally invasive approach and restoration of intestinal continuity.

Multicentre study of non-surgical management of diverticulitis with abscess formation

This multicentre retrospective cohort study included 447 patients with Hinchey Ib and II diverticular abscesses, who were treated with antibiotics, with or without percutaneous drainage. Abscesses of 3 and 5 cm in size were at higher risk of short‐term treatment failure and emergency surgery respectively. Initial non‐surgical treatment of Hinchey Ib and II diverticular abscesses was comparable between patients treated with antibiotics only and those who underwent percutaneous drainage in combination with antibiotics, with regard to short‐ and long‐term outcomes.

Most do not need drainage

Percutaneous Drainage of a Diverticular Abscess Should be Limited to Two Attempts for a Resilient Diverticular Abscess

Management of a resilient diverticular abscess poses a big challenge. Currently there are no guidelines for the number of percutaneous drainages to be performed in resilient diverticular abscesses before attempting surgery. All patients (n = 117) who presented with a computed tomography scan-proven diverticular abscess from July 2008 to June 2011 were studied. They were divided into four groups based on the number of percutaneous drainages they underwent for their diverticular abscess: six patients underwent three or more drainages, nine patients underwent two drainages, 27 patients had one drainage, and 75 patients had no drainage. Readjustment, flushing, and upgrading size of the drain were not considered as separate drainage procedures. The size of abscess cavity was significantly higher for the patients who had three or more drainages (mean 8 cm, P < 0.001). A Hartmann's procedure was performed in the majority of patients in the three or more drainage group (83%) but in decreasing frequency as the number of drainages performed dropped: two drainage group (44%), one drainage group (15%), and no drainage group (19%). There was a significantly higher preoperative hospital stay for drainage and antibiotics in the patients from the three or more drainage group ( P < 0.001). Patients with a resilient diverticular abscess are very likely to undergo a Hartmann's procedure after two attempted drainages. By performing additional percutaneous drainages in an attempt to avoid ostomy, patients are at an increased risk of sepsis and peritonitis with prolonged antibiotics and increased healthcare costs. We recommend limiting percutaneous drainage procedures to two attempts to cool down a resilient diverticular abscess before definitive surgery.