title: Complications following operation in the previously irradiated abdominopelvic cavity.
abstract: Twenty-three patients underwent 32 operations in a previously irradiated abdominopelvic cavity. The overall postoperative morbidity rate was 62% and the mortality rate was 6.2%. The data from this series do not support small bowel bypass as the only acceptable method of management of surgical radiation enteritis. Wide resection with primary anastomosis reduces the long-term morbidity of the "blind-loop syndrome", perforation and fistulization of the isolated loop, and does not have an increased mortality.
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000601:surgery; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000601:surgery; D010388:Pelvis / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012006:Rectovaginal Fistula / Q000601:surgery; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery