Surgeon specialization impacts the management but not outcomes of acute complicated diverticulitis

•Management and outcomes of complicated diverticulitis are compared by surgeon type.•Colorectal surgeons more frequently performed primary anastomosis with diversion.•General surgeons more frequently performed Hartmann's procedure.•No difference was observed in outcomes at the index hospitalization by surgeon type.

BackgroundThe management and outcomes of patients receiving nonelective surgical treatment of acute complicated diverticulitis by surgeon specialization have received little attention.MethodsA retrospective review was performed of consecutive patients with acute complicated diverticulitis who underwent surgery from 2006 to 2013. Patients were analyzed based on surgeon specialty: general surgery (GS) or colorectal surgery (CRS).ResultsOne hundred fifteen patients met criteria for study; 62 patients in the CRS and 53 in the GS group. GS were more likely to perform Hartmann's procedures or primary anastomosis and less likely to perform primary anastomosis with diverting ileostomy than CRS. There were no differences between groups for any outcome measures on univariate analysis. CRS patients had shorter operative time (P = .001) and length of stay (P ≤ .001) for stoma reversal procedures. Surgeon specialization was not associated with morbidity, readmission, or length of stay on multivariate analysis.ConclusionsAlthough surgical management differed significantly between CRS and GS, comparable outcomes were observed at the index hospital admission.