[Complications following colon surgery]

615 transperitoneal operations on the colon and rectum produced the following results. 377 abdominoperineal resections, anterior resections, partial and subtotal colectomies and proctocolectomies, 87 closures of colostomies and 151 operations with resection. 66% of the operations were required due to tumors. The death rate with 545 preopreratively prepared and scheduled operations was 8.1% whereas with the 70 emergency operations it was 25.7%. In 254 or 41.3% of the cases there were postoperative complications. Severe postoperative complications due to infection were the most frequent, followed by cardiopulmonary, haemorrhagic, urological and complications due to ileus. The quotient of insufficiency with the 356 anastomoses was 16%, the death rate 1.4%.