Professional Diverticulitis Surgery

No more bloating, diarrhea/constipation, pain, fever, and appetite loss. With Diverticulitis Surgery, we can:

overview

What is Diverticulitis?

Diverticulitis is a condition that occurs when small digestive tract pouches which are called diverticula, become inflamed or infected. The part of the digestive tract which is most commonly affected is the colon since that is where most of the diverticula are situated. Under normal conditions, diverticula have no harmful effect on the digestive system, but once they become inflamed or infected, they can trigger a number of symptoms which can become very uncomfortable for a person.

What is Diverticulitis Surgery?

Diverticulitis surgery would only be undertaken if the condition becomes fairly severe, or in cases where it becomes life-threatening. Prior to having surgery become an option, diverticulitis can generally be managed by taking antibiotics prescribed by your physician. In some cases, even over-the-counter, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, will help control pain and discomfort. It is also possible to drink lots of fluids and avoid eating solid food until diverticulitis symptoms fade away.

If none of these approaches has the desired effect, it may be necessary to undergo diverticulitis surgery. Your doctor would probably recommend surgery when any of the following conditions persists:

Symptoms or signs of sepsis
Perforation in your colon
Multiple episodes of severe diverticulitis
Rectal bleeding
Colon blockage which prevents excretion
Intense abdominal pain
And constipation
Vomiting
Diarrhea

Types of Diverticulitis Surgery

There are two primary kinds of diverticulitis surgery;

In the latter case, a surgeon would remove the entire infected portion of your colon (which is known as a colectomy), and would then stitch together the ends of the two remaining healthy parts, in a procedure known as anastomosis. In bowel removal with a colostomy, the surgeon would perform a colectomy that connects the bowel through an abdominal hole which is known as a stoma. The surgeon might perform a complete colostomy if the extent of the colon inflammation is too widespread. Depending on the ability of the patient to recover over the next several months. Both of these types of surgery can be accomplished either through the traditional open surgery method or through laparoscopic surgery. In open surgery, the doctor would make an incision of between six and eight inches in the abdomen, so that surgery on the internal organs can be performed. In laparoscopic surgery, only very small incisions would be made in the abdomen, and the surgery would be done by using very small tools and a video camera, which would be inserted into the operating site. The camera will provide images that are displayed on a monitor next to the operating table so that the top robotic surgeon in Ramsey, NJ can guide the precision instruments through the surgical procedure.

Risks Associated with Diverticulitis Surgery

As with virtually all kinds of surgery, there are certain risks associated with diverticulitis surgery. There are likely to be more and greater complications for patients who are obese, or who are older than the age of 60. Patients who have medical conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes are also at greater risk during diverticulitis surgery.

Anyone who has already experienced a diverticulitis surgery or any other kind of abdominal surgery is also at an increased risk for complications.

Patients whose health is not optimal, or who may be receiving inadequate nutrition, can be expected to experience more and greater complications from diverticulitis surgery. There are also likely to be more complications associated with surgeries that are performed on an emergency basis because that means the situation is relatively extreme and has already advanced to a severe status.

How Diverticulitis Surgery is Performed

In order to perform a bowel removal with primary anastomosis, it will be necessary to undertake the following procedures. In the case of laparoscopic surgery, it will be necessary to make three to five small incisions in the abdomen, and for open surgery, a cut of six to eight inches must be made, so that the intestine and other organs can be viewed and operated on. When performing laparoscopic surgery, the video camera and the precision tools must then be inserted through the small incisions made. After this, the abdominal area must be pumped full of carbon dioxide so that the abdominal wall will become separated from the internal organs, and there will be more room for performing the surgery. Then the part of the colon which has been affected will be identified and removed from the remaining portion of the colon. After this, the two ends of the remaining part of the colon must be sewn back together in a primary anastomosis. Alternatively, a hole can be opened in the abdominal wall, so that the colon can be attached through that hole in a colostomy. Whatever approaches have been used to this point, will be followed up by sewing all surgical incisions back together, and having the incision sites cleansed thoroughly to avoid infection.

Recovery and Outlook after Diverticulitis Surgery

After diverticulitis surgery has been performed, it will be necessary to spend somewhere between two and seven days at the medical facility. The doctors will monitor your condition, and they can be sure that you are able to resume passing waste.

Once you’re allowed to go home, you will always recover more quickly if you can avoid exercising and lifting anything heavy for the first couple weeks following surgery. Depending on how successful the surgery was, and your condition prior to surgery, your doctor may recommend a shorter or longer recuperation time.

It will be a good idea to limit your intake of clear liquids for several days following surgery, and to avoid eating any solid foods, so as to allow your colon time to heal. Solid foods can then slowly be reintroduced into your diet, after your colon has recovered from surgery, or when your doctor tells you it is safe to begin eating solid foods again. If you have a stoma and a colostomy bag after surgery, it will, of course, be necessary to follow any instructions you were given at the hospital for proper use of these.

Get in Touch With Us Today

Dr. Anthony Pozzessere specializes in performing diverticulitis surgeries using the laparoscopic method which calls for small, precise incisions to be made at the operating site. Being committed to patient-centered care, Dr. Anthony prefers to adopt those methods which will cause minimum disruption to a patient’s life, and which will help them recover as quickly as possible after surgery.