Table 1. Baseline Characteristics.
| Characteristic | No. (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Surgery (n = 41) | Conservative treatment (n = 44) | |
| Age, median (IQR), y | 59.0 (51.5-63.0) | 59.0 (50.3-62.8) |
| Sex, male | 11 (27) | 15 (34) |
| Body mass index, mean (SD)a | 29.3 (4.7) | 28.7 (4.2) |
| Comorbidities | ||
| Coronary disease/myocardial infarction | 0 | 1 (2) |
| Congestive heart failure | 0 | 1 (2) |
| Atrial fibrillation | 1 (2) | 1 (2) |
| Hypertension | 15 (41) | 11 (25) |
| Peripheral vascular disease | 0 | 1 (2) |
| Cerebrovascular disease | 0 | 0 |
| Hemiplegia | 0 | 0 |
| Dementia | 0 | 0 |
| COPD or asthma | 3 (7) | 4 (9) |
| Connective tissue disease | 3 (7) | 3 (7) |
| Liver disease | 0 | 0 |
| Peptic ulcer | 0 | 0 |
| Diabetes | 1 (2) | 5 (11) |
| Without complications | 1 (2) | 4 (9) |
| With complications | 0 | 1 (2) |
| Kidney disease (moderate/severe) | 0 | 0 |
| Cancer | 0 | 0 |
| Leukemia | 0 | 0 |
| Lymphoma | 0 | 0 |
| AIDS | 0 | 0 |
| Inclusion criteriab | ||
| Recurrent diverticulitis | 34 (83) | 32 (73) |
| Complicated diverticulitisc | 10 (24) | 13 (30) |
| Persistent pain >3 mo after diverticulitis | 2 (5) | 3 (7) |
| Frequency of pain at randomization | ||
| Never | 4 (10) | 3 (7) |
| Once a month | 12 (29) | 7 (16) |
| Once a week | 7 (17) | 8 (18) |
| A few times a week | 8 (20) | 9 (20) |
| Every day | 1 (2) | 5 (11) |
| Several times a day | 0 | 1 (2) |
| All the time | 2 (5) | 1 (2) |
| VAS score, mean (SD) | 4.2 (2.9) | 4.6 (2.6) |
| GIQLI score at randomization, mean (SD) | 104.75 (21.87) | 99.75 (20.85) |
| SF-36 score at randomization, median (IQR) | ||
| PCS | 48.13 (42.42-53.50) | 43.38 (36.73-49.29) |
| MCS | 55.09 (44.89-60.15) | 49.17 (40.70-57.64) |
| Episodes of diverticulitis, mean (SD) | 4.6 (3.5) | 4.0 (3.1) |
| Most severe diverticulitis before randomization | ||
| Hinchey grade 0 | 7 (17) | 11 (25) |
| Hinchey grade Ia | 23 (56) | 19 (43) |
| Hinchey grade Ib | 5 (12) | 8 (18) |
| Hinchey grade II | 3 (7) | 5 (11) |
| Hinchey grade III | 2 (5) | 0 |
| Most invasive treatment for earlier diverticulitis | ||
| Symptomatic treatment | 1 (2) | 1 (2) |
| Antibiotics | 30 (73) | 29 (66) |
| Percutaneous drainage | 6 (15) | 9 (20) |
| Laparoscopic lavage | 2 (5) | 1 (2) |
| Location of diverticulosis | ||
| Whole colon | 3 (7) | 5 (11) |
| Sigmoid | 24 (59) | 24 (55) |
| Sigmoid and transverse | 5 (12) | 1 (2) |
| Descending colon | 9 (22) | 14 (32) |
| Earlier treatment of diverticulosisd | ||
| No treatment | 11 (27) | 10 (23) |
| Multiple courses of per-oral antibiotics | 23 (56) | 25 (57) |
| Fiber supplement | 22 (54) | 24 (55) |
| Behaviorale | 18 (44) | 14 (32) |
| Medication | ||
| Anticoagulative medication | 3 (7) | 1 (2) |
| Corticosteroid medication | 1 (2) | 1 (2) |
| Immunosuppressive medication | 3 (7) | 3 (7) |
Abbreviations: COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; GIQLI, Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index; IQR, interquartile range; MCS, mental component score; PCS, physical component score; SF-36, 36-Item Short Form Health Survey; VAS, visual analog scale.
a
Calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared.
b
Patients may have met more than 1 inclusion criteria.
c
Complicated diverticulitis was defined as patients having 1 or more abscesses (10 in surgery group and 13 in conservative treatment group).
d
More than 1 form of treatment could be assigned per patient.
e
Behavior treatments included diet changes (higher levels of fiber intake) for treatment of constipation if necessary.