[Surgical treatment of multivisceral intra-abdominal recurrences and metastases]

From 1988 to 1990, 467 patients were operated a total of 850 times for malignant intra-abdominal tumours. Analysis of these 850 operations revealed that 205 were performed for recurrences with or without metastasis and 59 were performed for metastasis. The operations for recurrences were elective in 158 cases and consisted of 86 local radical procedures and 72 non-radical procedures. 47 operations for recurrences were performed as emergency procedures and were non-radical in 45 cases. With 55 of 59 operations for metastasis the majority of these operations was performed electively and locally radical. The majority for metastases were performed electively and were locally radical. The majority of life-threatening emergency situations were controlled (129 of 141 operations, 92%) and two-thirds of these patients left hospital with a satisfactory quality of life (Karnofsky index > 50 in 83 of the 141 operations). Consequently, repeated operations and the combination of surgery with adjuvant therapy can control malignant disease for several years with a satisfactory quality of life.