AIDE: Decision Support for Anastomosis or Colostomy in Emergency Surgery for Complicated Acute Diverticulitis

Complicated acute diverticulitis requiring non-elective surgery remains a challenging condition in emergency colorectal surgery. In patients with diffuse peritonitis or severe complicated disease, the intraoperative decision between primary anastomosis and Hartmann's procedure is complex and influenced by patient-related factors, disease severity, contamination, tissue quality, bowel perfusion, technical feasibility, and surgeon judgment.

The AIDE/OBS study aims to collect retrospectively and prospectively standardized real-world data from multiple centers to better understand the factors influencing this decision. The study will collect clinical and demographic characteristics, comorbidities, radiological findings including WSES CT-driven classification, intraoperative findings, operative strategy, postoperative outcomes, anonymized intraoperative images or videos when available, and surgeon-reported decision-making factors.

The collected data will be used to validate and refine a preliminary expert-informed AI-based decision-support framework. The long-term objective is to support the development of future artificial intelligence and computer vision tools that may assist emergency surgeons during intraoperative decision-making in complicated diverticulitis.

This is an observational, non-interventional study. No experimental treatment, device, or AI-guided recommendation is applied to patients during the study. Surgical management is performed according to standard clinical practice and local protocols.

Inclusion criteria

• Age 18 years or older
• Diagnosis of acute complicated diverticulitis requiring non-elective operative management
• Emergency or urgent surgery for complicated diverticulitis, including surgery after failure of non-operative management
• Minimally invasive approach: laparoscopic/robotic surgery
• Patients undergoing sigmoid resection with primary anastomosis, Hartmann's procedure, or other operative strategy according to local practice
• Availability of clinical and operative data
• Local ethical approval, authorization, or waiver according to national and institutional regulations

Exclusion criteria

• Age younger than 18 years
• Elective surgery for diverticular disease
• Uncomplicated diverticulitis managed non-operatively
• Surgery performed for conditions not related to diverticulitis
• Surgical procedures performed via primary open approach (i.e., no attempt at minimally invasive surgery), unless converted intraoperatively.
• Lack of required consent or authorization for data use, when required by local regulations