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Diverticular disease · Help and support

Help with understanding your diverticular disease appointment

Your team can explain your scan results, the choices available and the next steps. Ask them to show you on the model what your results mean.

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If you feel unwell or you are worried, ask a pharmacist or contact your GP. For urgent help, call NHS 111, or use NHS 111 online (111.nhs.uk) or the NHS App. In an emergency, call 999. For health information, see the NHS website (nhs.uk) or the NHS App.

Your GP or hospital team can explain your scan results, the choices available and the next steps. If you have been in hospital, use the contact number the hospital gave you if you have any problems.

Someone to talk to

Words you may hear

Diverticula
Small pouches that bulge out through the wall of the large bowel. One pouch is a diverticulum.
Diverticulosis
Having these pouches, often without any symptoms.
Diverticular disease
Symptoms such as tummy pain caused by the pouches.
Diverticulitis
When the pouches become inflamed or infected.
Sigmoid colon
The S-shaped part of the large bowel, low on the left side of the tummy, which joins the rectum.
Abscess (collection)
A pocket of pus. Scan reports often call it a collection.
Perforation
A burst: a small hole in the bowel wall that lets infection leak out.
Stricture
A part of the bowel that has become narrower.
Colectomy
An operation to remove part of the large bowel.
Anastomosis
A join between two ends of the bowel.
Stoma
An opening of the bowel on the tummy, with a bag over it to collect poo.
CT scan
A scan using X-rays that shows the inside of the body in slices.
Colonoscopy
A test using a thin, flexible tube with a camera to look inside the large bowel.

Trusted information

The explorer is a simplified illustration for a conversation with your team. It cannot interpret your report, make a diagnosis or tell you which treatment is right.