[Sigmoid Diverticulitis: Indications and Timing of Surgery]

Background: Diverticular disease represents a common problem in the clinical routine. In addition to the question of who should be admitted to hospital for treatment and who can be treated as an outpatient, the questions of the indications and timing for surgery are decisive. Because the disease is internationally classified in different ways, the recommendations are also not uniform.

Objective: In this article the essential aspects of the indications for and timing of surgery are structured and oriented to the new S2K guidelines.

Results: The indications and timing of surgery can only be reasonably determined by evaluating all essential information on diverticular disease. A prerequisite is an exact, comprehensive and applicable classification of the disease before treatment. An adequate assessment cannot be made using morphological information obtained by imaging alone.

Discussion: The new classification of sigmoid diverticulitis corresponding to the German guidelines for diverticular disease classification (GGDDC) enables an appropriate strategy for evaluating the indications and selection of the time for surgery.