Introduction The study is focused on the quality of life of patients affected by colonic diverticular disease (DD). While colonic resection is standard practice in complicated DD, treatment of uncomplicated diverticulitis is not so clear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of life in patients who had undergone colonic resection and who had been treated just with medical therapy.

Method This is a prospective, single-centre study. Between December 2009 and December 2014, 29 patients were treated for DD in our ward and were willing to fill in the gastrointestinal quality of life index questionnaire (GIQLI), which was sent them later by mail again, after 3 months and one year. We compared the improvement of the quality of life after the treatment – in conservatively treaded C group and in patients after resection – R group.

Results We compared C group (21 patients) with R group (8 patients). After 3 months there was no significant difference in changes of gastrointestinal quality of life. But after one year there was significant improvement in the R group + 25%, whereas the improvement in the C group was just +1%. The average change in total GIQLI score C versus R group was 0.6 vs 22, 7 respectively (p = 0.006). The improvement was due to increments in gastrointestinal symptomatology (–0.3 vs 9.8; p = 0.01), physical functions (–0.7 vs 5.6; p = 0.007), social function (–0.5 vs 2.3; p = 0.05) and treatment (–0.3 vs 1.4; p = 0.004) subdomain.

Conclusion Because of significant improvement in quality of life after sigmoid resection in the majority of patients, in contrast to non operated group, avoidance of subsequent episodic attacks should not represent the only reason for surgery.

Disclosure of interest None Declared.