When does diverticulitis need surgery?

← All patient questions

No longer just “two attacks”

Surgeons once recommended surgery after a set number of attacks. Today the decision is more individual. Dr. Tufts considers how often you have attacks, how severe they are, how much they disrupt work and life, whether you have had complications, and your overall health.

Reasons surgery may be recommended

• Repeated attacks, or ongoing (“smoldering”) pain between attacks
• An abscess (pocket of infection), especially if it returns
• A narrowing (stricture) that blocks the colon
• A fistula, an abnormal connection to the bladder, vagina or skin, which can cause air or stool in the urine or recurring infections
• A weakened immune system
• A perforation or severe infection, which may need emergency surgery

The operation

In a colon resection, the diseased section of colon, usually the sigmoid colon, is removed and the healthy ends are reconnected. Planning surgery after you recover from an attack, rather than during an emergency, usually allows a minimally invasive operation and makes it more likely that no ostomy bag is needed. Colon resections are primarily performed with the Da Vinci robotic system.

When to see a surgeon

• Two or more attacks, or one complicated attack
• Pain, bowel changes or urinary symptoms that continue after an attack
• You are tired of courses of antibiotics and want to know your options

Get urgent care: Go to the ER for severe belly pain, high fever, a rigid or swollen belly, or being unable to pass gas or stool.

Learn more: Colon & diverticulitis surgery · Da Vinci robotic surgery

Talk with Dr. Tufts

Dr. Tufts is a minimally invasive and endoscopic general surgeon. To have your symptoms evaluated or talk through your options, call (941) 391-5102 to schedule a visit at Charlotte Harbor Surgical, 4245 Kings Hwy, Unit A, Port Charlotte, FL 33980. We see patients from Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, North Port, Englewood, Cape Coral and North Fort Myers and across Southwest Florida.

Written and medically reviewed by Dr. Matthew Tufts, MD, FACS, a board-certified minimally invasive and endoscopic general surgeon in Port Charlotte, FL. Last reviewed 2026-11-11.

This page is general information, not medical advice. Every patient is different. Dr. Tufts will review your history, exam and test results with you and explain the options, benefits and risks that apply to you.