LapLAND Laparoscopic Lavage for Acute Non-Faeculant Diverticulitis

Plain-language summary

The aim of the study is to compare patient outcome following standard of care (Hartmann's or resection with anastomosis and defunctioning stoma) and a 'new therapy' (laparoscopic lavage alone) for the treatment of acute perforated non-faeculant diverticulitis in Irish hospitals. Perforated diverticulitis requires emergency surgery. This carries significant risks and mortality as high as 15% during the index admission has been reported. Our group has established the safety of laparoscopic lavage alone on the largest cohort to date in a prospective multi-institutional study of 100 patients, providing convincing evidence that laparoscopic lavage alone is a reasonable alternative to resection for non-faeculant perforated diverticulitis. Our aim now is to translate this well-established study design into a protocol for a multi-institutional randomised control trial as direct comparison is the only way to provide convincing evidence of one modality over another. All patients will be followed up for twelve months and primary (operative and in-hospital mortality) and secondary (in-hospital and post-discharge morbidity; rates of stoma formation; rates of re-presentation with diverticulitis with or without perforation.) end-points will be recorded. Sample size calculations reveal that a patient cohort of 100 in each arm will be sufficient to detect a difference in morbidity and mortality between groups The ratio between Hinchey 3 and Hinchey 4 is estimated to be approximately 2:1. In order to guarantee sufficient sample size, therefore, 300 patients must fulfil the study criteria allowing for exclusion of 100 at time of operation

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