Diverticulitis Specialist
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Montana Colon
Michael Zehnpfennig, M.D.
Colorectal Surgery located in Missoula, MT
Diverticulitis causes abdominal pain, diarrhea, and other uncomfortable symptoms that can make you feel miserable. If you have recurring diverticulitis, Michael Zehnpfennig, MD, of Montana Colon in Missoula, Montana, can help. Dr. Zehnpfennig is a fellowship-trained colorectal surgeon who has advanced skills in minimally invasive and robotic surgery. While surgery isn't always necessary for mild diverticulitis, if your condition is more severe, call Montana Colon and book an appointment or schedule one online today.
Diverticulitis Q & A
What is diverticulitis?
Diverticulitis is a condition affecting your colon where stool gets stuck in small pouches (diverticula) that become infected with bacteria. That results in severe lower abdominal pain and could cause complications such as:
- Perforation of the colon
- Sepsis
- Abscesses
- Intestinal obstructions
- Perforated colon
- Peritonitis
- Fistulas
Fistulas are abnormal connections between your colon and nearby organs like your small bowel, bladder, or vagina.
What symptoms does diverticulitis cause?
Diverticulitis symptoms range from mild to severe and could include:
- Abdominal pain
- Rectal bleeding
- Blood in your stool
- Bloating
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fever and chills
Diverticulitis pain typically affects the lower left side of the abdomen but may sometimes be present on the right side.
What are the causes of diverticulitis?
There isn't one clear cause for diverticulitis, but factors that increase your risk include:
- Genetics (family history)
- Your diet
- Compromised immune function
- Changes in the gut microbiome
- Obesity
- Physical inactivity
- Smoking
- Certain medications (e.g., steroids)
It’s likely to be a combination of some of these risk factors that triggers diverticulitis in some people.
How is diverticulitis treated?
If you have mild diverticulitis, your doctor might recommend a liquid diet to give the bowel a chance to heal. If you have infected diverticula, you may also need antibiotics to eliminate the bacteria.
As your condition improves, you can switch from a low-fiber diet to one that's higher in fiber, which aids gut motility. That makes it more difficult for stool and bacteria to get trapped in the diverticula.
While most patients recover with these noninvasive approaches, surgery is an option if you suffer recurring bouts of diverticulitis or you're in great discomfort.
What does surgery for diverticulitis involve?
Diverticulitis surgery traditionally involved making a large incision in your midline and often resulted in patients having to wear colostomy bags. Surgical diverticulitis management has undergone major changes more recently, though, with the use of minimally invasive techniques.
Dr. Zehnpfennig of Montana Colon completed extensive specialty training in diverticulitis surgery and is the only colorectal surgeon offering natural-orifice colon resection in Montana. He uses the advanced Intuitive da Vinci® Xi robotic system to remove the diseased parts of your colon using just four incisions of between a quarter and half an inch.
Following your diverticulitis surgery, you need to stay overnight in the hospital, and you should be ready to resume normal activities within two weeks.
To find out more about diverticulitis surgery, call Montana Colon or book an appointment online today.
