Inferior mesenteric artery preservation techniques in the treatment of diverticular disease: a systematic review of the literature

The aim of this study is to analyze the impact of different surgical techniques used to preserve the inferior mesenteric artery on patient outcomes following left colonic resection.

A search was conducted in PubMed, Embase and Web of Science, founding 4795 articles. The review was registered on PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42024572291).

Eleven articles published between 2001 and 2023, including 989 patients were the object of the present systematic review. Two hundred sixty-two patients (26.5%) underwent Valdoni’s technique (Group A), which involves the skeletonization of the IMA, 272 (27.5%) underwent tubular resection (Group B), and 455 (46%) underwent peripheral dissection on sigmoid vessels (Group C). Laparoscopic surgery was predominant in Groups B (100%) and C (94.7%), while Group A had fewer laparoscopic procedures (44.6%). Patients in Group A experienced longer operative times (174.5 ± 27.4 min) and hospital stays (11.4 ± 3.6 days) compared to Groups B and C (165.9 min and 152.35 ± 46.9 min; 8.4 ± 5.7 days and 8.3 ± 3.6 days, respectively). Group A exhibited higher rates of anastomotic leakage (5%) compared to Group C (1.1%) and a higher incidence of bleeding (13%) compared to Group B (1.8%).

Valdoni’s technique is less favourable for IMA preservation in left colon resection for diverticular disease. Peripheral dissection of sigmoid vessels or tubular resection is recommended for IMA preservation in this context.