Surgical management of radiation injury to the small intestine.

A survey of the literature and of the present series demonstrate a distinct difference in surgical mortality and intestinal morbidity in the immediate postoperative periods. Resection of the intestine with anastomosis has a significantly higher complication rate than does bypass. In this study, the over-all advantage in resecting radiation injured small intestine with reference to reducing severe chronic intestinal signs and symptoms has not been demonstrated.