Outcome of elective primary surgery for diverticular disease of the sigmoid colon: a risk analysis based on the POSSUM scoring system

BACKGROUND: The outcome of surgery for diverticular disease of the sigmoid colon remains largely unclear. A comparison of studies is hardly possible because risk factors for diverticular disease severity and patient-related risk factors are lacking. The purpose of this study was to define morbidity and mortality of primary surgery for nonacute complications of diverticular disease of the sigmoid colon and to identify the risk factors that predict a higher morbidity and mortality. METHODS: Patients who underwent elective surgery for complications of diverticular disease of the sigmoid colon (n = 149) were identified in a prospective computerized morbidity and mortality registration. In all patients, the Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the enUmeration of Mortality and morbidity (POSSUM) was calculated, as were the morbidity and mortality rates. Factors predicting postoperative morbidity and mortality were identified. To audit mortality figures, a POSSUM based scoring system is introduced. RESULTS: The mortality rate was 4.7% and morbidity rate was 53.7%. Significantly higher morbidity rates were correlated with a higher physiological POSSUM score (P = 0.010). Non-survivors were older (P = 0.029) and also had a higher physiological POSSUM score (P < 0.001) and operation severity POSSUM score (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The morbidity and mortality rates of surgery for nonacute complications of diverticular disease of the sigmoid colon are considerable. To a large extent, mortality and morbidity are driven by patient- and disease-related factors, as expressed by elevated physiological severity and operative severity scores and failures of peri-operative management in most deceased patients.