[Expansion of the indications for sphincter-preserving operations in rectal cancer]

The authors present the analysis of 353 abdomino-anal resections of the rectum with a pull-through procedure on the colon. Different postoperative complications were noted in 88 patients (24.9%), 59 of them (16.7%) developed complications typical for the procedure concerned (necrosis of the descended colon, colovaginal fistula). Due to a high level of the descended colon necrosis 24 patients (6.7%) were subjected to the reoperation - a double trunk transversostomy to exclude feces. In 37 patients with necrosis of the descended intestine a principally new method of treatment with colonic enemas was employed. As a result, there was a possibility to avoid colostomy and to liquidate diastasis between the descended colon and anal canal in 33 patients. The postoperative mortality among patients, subjected to abdomino-anal resection of the rectum with a pull-through procedure on different portions of the colon, made 3.1 per cent.