Severe postoperative morbidity after left colectomy for sigmoid diverticulitis without splenic flexure mobilization. Results of a multicenter cohort study with propensity score analysis.

• Avoiding splenic flexure mobilization during left colectomy for sigmoid diverticulitis does not increase significantly severe postoperative complications at day 90. • The prevalence of anastomotic leakage, hemorrhage, and the need to return to the operating theatre was similar between the patients with and without splenic flexure mobilization. • This is the first study using propensity score matching that included almost 1000 patients who were operated on for sigmoid diverticulitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]