[Surgical treatment of ileus in the radiation-injured intestine].

Between the years 1977 to 1990, ten patients were operated for ileus due to intestinal damage induced by radiotherapy. The patients had received an average radiation dose of 50.2 GY. Average lapse of time between radiotherapy and operation for ileus was 15.5 months. The operation procedures included were five lysis of adhesions, four by-pass operations, three small intestine resections, one large intestine resection, three transversostomies and one ileostomy. Three patients suffered postoperative complications; one got bronchopneumonia, one suffered prolonged paralytic ileus and one suffered anastomotic leakage, sepsis and fistula formation. Five of the patients have died from their malignant illness. For the five remaining patients the observation time varies from six months to 13 years.