[Considerations on the pre- and peri-operative preparations in surgery of the colon]

The type and frequency of local postoperative complications after 265 elective colon-rectal operations occurring in 262 patients are described. The orthograde enema, which causes discomfort to the patients and a considerable amount of work for the nursing staff can be waived. Since the results obtained (11.5% local postoperative complications) are regarded as satisfactory and display no marked differences from the incidence with orthograde enema, the case for the combination of pre- and postoperative antibiotic infection prophylaxis is substantiated.