[Radiogenic damage of the intestine--diagnosis and therapy]

62 patients underwent surgery for intestinal radiation injuries during the past 15 years. 34 patients had previous abdominal surgery. Preoperative investigations must clarify if there is only the radiation lesion or a recurrent process of the originally radiated tumor. Rectovaginal fistulas occurred 28 times, 19 of which could only be treated by continent colostomy. 5 patients had been curatively resected with low anastomosis. A progressive stenosis leading to an ileus symptomatology appeared in 24 patients. The injured intestinal part was resected. As intestinal radiation injuries are combined with an ischemic enteropathy, anastomosis will be extremely problematic. Thus, second-look operations are recommendable for the third and seventh postoperative day. So lethality could be decreased.