title: The effects of preoperative radiation on healing of rat colonic anastomoses.
abstract: The effect of delaying surgery, after a nominal standard dose of 4500 rad was administered to the abdomen of rats, on the healing of colonic anastomoses was evaluated. Healing, as determined by bursting pressure of colonic segments, was significantly depressed (p less than 0.05) at five days after surgery in groups irradiated five or 15 days prior to surgery as compared with groups receiving either no radiotherapy or irradiation ten days prior to surgery. Five-day healing was not significantly depressed in the group irradiated ten days prior to operation as compared with the group receiving no irradiation. No significant (p less than 0.05) differences were noted at ten or 15 days after surgery between groups that were and were not irradiated. At ten days after surgery all groups had higher bursting pressures than the control group at five days after surgery. Thus, there appears to be an optimal time interval between radiation and surgery to ensure maximal colonic healing.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003106:Colon / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D051381:Rats; D013997:Time Factors; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000528:radiation effects*