SPECIAL ARTICLES   

Minerva Chirurgica 2005 February;60(1):71-6

Copyright © 2005 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Surgical management of incidental Meckel¹s diverticulum: it is necessary to obtain the informed consent

Grimaldi L., Zingaro N.,Ttrecca A.

Surgical approach to the incidentally found Meckel¹s diverticulum (MD) is still source of debate: someone support the systematic search and the surgical resection, others suggest to leave in situ the asymptomatic diverticulum. A wide literature review and some claims for malpractice referred to resection of diverticular formations (2 cases are described herein) allow us to deem that the removal of an asymptomatic MD may be an excess of surgical indication regarding an entity that cannot be defined as pathological for itself: anyway, the informed consent nust be obtained before the incidental resection. The consent to the asportation of MD must always be requested for laparotomies in which the surgeon forecasts the possibility to remove a diverticulum eventually found. Finally, an easy informed consent form about an incidentally found MD to be submitted to the patient is proposed.