The management of diverticulitis continues to evolve, challenging long-held dogma and requiring surgeons to make nuanced, high-stakes decisions in both urgent and elective settings.
In a 90-minute Panel Session, “Diverticulitis in Transition: Modernizing Management from Acute Flares to Chronic Care,” global experts will tackle the most difficult clinical scenarios across the spectrum of diverticular disease, from acute operative decision-making to management of chronic symptoms.
“This is a very practical symposium that most surgeons will find useful, especially if they take emergency general surgery call or are seeing complicated diverticulitis patients electively in clinic,” said session co-moderator Sean Langenfeld, MD, FACS, FASCRS, chief of the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery in the Department of Surgery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.
The panel will take on some of the biggest questions in diverticulitis care.
“Does uncomplicated diverticulitis benefit from antibiotics? Do patients with chronic gastrointestinal symptoms after diverticulitis benefit from elective colectomy? What is the truly safe and appropriate approach to emergency surgery at 2:00 am? We expect to address these questions and others with Q&A after the presentations,” Dr. Langenfeld said.
These discussions will lead to an overarching question, according to session co-moderator Alexander Hawkins, MD, MPH, FACS, the incoming chief of the Division of Colorectal Surgery at Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina.
That question is: “How can we build best practice clinical pathways around evolving evidence?” said Dr. Hawkins.
Technical mastery will be emphasized through discussion of minimally invasive approaches to complicated disease. Giulio M. Mari, MD, from Lombardy, Italy, will bring an international perspective on avoiding conversion to open surgery in difficult cases.
In addition, practical strategies for complex procedures such as a Hartmann takedown will be discussed.
“A Hartmann takedown can be a difficult operation, so we’re excited to hear from Jason Hall, MD, MPH, FACS, FASCRS, an experienced colorectal surgeon, on how we can make this easier,” Dr. Hawkins said.
The session also will explore system-level innovations, including the development of integrated care pathways, as well as the growing challenge of persistent symptoms after acute episodes.
Another goal is to help surgeons determine when evolving evidence warrants challenging longstanding approaches to diverticulitis care.
“I always enjoy the challenge of surgical dogma, so I’m very excited to hear and share the talk from Vlad (Val) Simianu, MD, MPH, FACS, FASCRS, on separating myth from mantra,” Dr. Langenfeld said.
Because acute diverticulitis is routinely encountered in surgical practice, the session is designed to have broad clinical relevance.
“It’s hard to imagine this program not being applicable to anyone who takes general surgery call. We have worked to make it extremely high yield and address many of the pain points we all experience in both our day-to-day practice and in our noteworthy, difficult cases,” Dr. Hawkins said.
Add “Diverticulitis in Transition: Modernizing Management from Acute Flares to Chronic Care” to your schedule on the Meeting Platform.
