Surgical outcomes for diverticulitis in young patients: results from the NSQIP database.

In recent years, there has been a change to a more conservative approach for elective colonic resection in young patients with a history of diverticulitis. Increasingly young patients presenting for surgery for diverticulitis are male and obese, and increased rates of post-operative medical morbidity have been observed. The laparoscopic approach is more common, with resultant increased operative times, and decreased wound infection rates. The observed increased in emergency surgery and perforation rates may be explained by the change in management approach with less elective resections.