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HARRY E. BACON, M.D.; JULIUS L. BERKLEY, M.D.

AMA Arch Surg. 1960;80(4):646-649.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

Nearly two decades ago Wayne Babcock succinctly stated: "Diverticulitis of the colon is the one disease of an intra-abdominal organ characterized by a tendency to persist or relapse with perforation, peritonitis, abscess, fistula or intestinal obstruction." He championed resection rather than medical measures and delayed operation as well as palliative surgery. The intervening years have evidenced clearly the merit of this philosophy.

The purpose of this discussion is to record our experience with patients suffering from the effects of diverticulitis and to emphasize the fact that not only is surgery indicated in the presence of complications but that interval resection is a justifiable procedure since ultraconservatism leads to disaster.

Material and Data

Our experience embraces 243 patients with diverticulitis of the colon during the period of 18 years and 9 months, from September, 1940, to May, 1959; 132 were females and 111 were males.

Operative Data.

—Of the 243 patients, . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
Philadelphia

Resident in Proctology, Temple University Medical Center (Dr. Berkley).

Footnotes
Submitted for publication Sept. 26, 1959.

Annual Oration, Providence Surgical Association, Providence, R.I., May, 1959.

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