Surgical management of radiation enteropathy

Acute radiation enteropathy is usually self-limited and rarely requires surgical intervention. Chronic radiation enteropathy may occur months, years, or decades after treatment. Patients may present with crampy abdominal pain, diarrhea, or cachexia or may present acutely with bowel obstruction or fistula. The bowel and its mesentery are shortened, and mucosal ulceration and submucosal fibrosis are present. The vasculature of the bowel is markedly compromised by progressive endarteritis. Ideally, nutritional support should be given and surgery performed electively. Regardless of presentation, both large and small bowel must be evaluated for concurrent problems. At surgery, resection and restoration of continuity of the gastrointestinal tract is optimal management. Recurrent obstruction and fistulae are real risks, and optimal management is resection of bowel damaged by radiation and anastomosis using bowel spared from irradiation. However, if the patient is unstable or necessary dissection and mobilization of the bowel judged too morbid, bypass of the affected loop is acceptable. Occasionally, only diversion of the bowel by enterostomy is possible.