[Radiotherapy in the prevention of postoperative and traumatic complications]

An analysis of the results of radiation therapy of 587 patients with postoperative and traumatic complications has shown that special gamma-therapy used at early time following trauma or surgical intervention, with the first clinical signs of an incipient inflammatory process (the so-called "anticipating" irradiation), makes it possible to avoid the development of serious postoperative, post-traumatic complications: wound suppuration, fistulas, secondary parotitis, postamputation pain syndrome, "needle" osteomyelitis, keloid cicatrix, skin graft rejection, etc. In the authors' opinion, this promising trend in radiotherapy of nontumorous diseases is worth a wider using in clinical practice.