Sphincter-saving operations are now generally accepted for the treatment of mid-rectal cancers. Many techniques have been described: low colorectal anastomosis, pull-through procedures, and colo-anal anastomosis. The functional results following these operations are impaired by loss of the reservoir function of the rectum. In order to improve these results, a modification of Parks' colo-anal anastomosis is proposed. A J-shaped colic reservoir is constructed and its end is anastomosed to the anal canal. We have operated upon 31 patients using this technique. Mortality was 3.3 per cent. Functional results were evaluated in 24 patients having a follow-up of more than 3 months. All were continent; mean number of bowel movements was 1.1 per day. Defaecation was spontaneous in 75 per cent of cases; in the remaining 25 per cent, evacuation of the reservoir was elicited by a small enema each two days. This technique, creating a neo-rectum, can achieve an important place among the sphincter-saving operations.

A randomized clinical trial was conducted by the European Organization for Research and Treatment for Cancer (EORTC) Gastrointestinal Cancer Cooperative Group to study the effectiveness of irradiation therapy administered in a dosage of 34.5 Gy, divided into 15 daily doses of 2.3 Gy each before radical surgery for rectal cancer (T2, T3, T4, NX, MO). Four hundred sixty-six patients were entered in the clinical trial between June 1976 and September 1981. Tolerance and side effects of preoperative irradiation were acceptable. The overall 5-year survival rates were similar in both groups. When considering only the 341 patients treated by surgery with a curative aim, the 5-year survival rates were 59.1% and 69.1% in the control group and in the combined modality group, respectively (p = 0.08). The local recurrence rates at 5 years were 30% and 15% in the control group and the adjuvant radiotherapy group, respectively (p = 0.003). Although this study did not show preoperative radiotherapy to have a statistically significant benefit on overall survival, it does have a clear effect on local control of rectal cancer. Therefore, before performing radical surgery, this adjuvant therapy should be administered to patients who have locally extended rectal cancer.

To improve surgical results of potentially operable rectal cancer, the European Organization on Research and Treatment of Cancer conducted a two‐arm randomized clinical trial to compare the efficiency of preoperative administration of radiotherapy, with or without 5‐fluorouracil before radical surgery. Two hundred forty‐seven eligible patients were admitted from November 1972 through April 1976. The overall survival observed in the group treated with preoperative radiotherapy appears to be better than in the group of patients where preoperative combined modality was administered. Five‐year survival is 59% versus 46% with a marginal statistical significance of P = 0.06. Although the combined modality arm had a higher incidence of side effects and postoperative deaths, it had a greater effect than the radiotherapyalone arm in controlling the disease process, mainly distant metastases to the liver with a result bordering on statistical significance (P = 0.07). The incidence of nonmalignant and intercurrent deaths were higher in the combined modality group, whereas deaths due to malignancy were higher in the radiotherapyalone group. Observing more stringent selection in disease and patients' criteria, side effects and intercurrent deaths can be effectively reduced with further improvement in adjuvant therapy results.

The pathology of the pancreas is sometimes related to the embryological development of the organ. The first part of this paper is a presentation of the embryology, morphogenesis and cytogenesis of the pancreas. A tentative classification is then proposed to group together the lesions directly related to anomalies of the position and differentiation of the pancreatic buds. Pathological processes affecting the pancreas can be divided into those related to the ducts and those related to the parenchyma of the gland. In each case anomalies arising at a given stage of development lead to different diseases of the pancreas.

From 1953 to 1982, 257 patients with complete rectal prolapse were operated upon. To the procedure described by Orr, we have added mobilization of the rectum prior to its suspension and eliminated the pouch of Douglas, and nylon strips have been used for suspension in most patients. There were 57 male and 200 female patients. Ages ranged from 11 to 90 years. Sixty-one patients had already undergone surgery for rectal prolapse with another procedure and prolapse had recurred. The postoperative course was uneventful in 96 per cent of patients. Two patients, aged 79 to 83 years, died of cardiac failure. Follow-up of 115 patients ranged from five to 23 years. Recurrent rectal prolapse was observed in 4.3 per cent of the patients in whom nylon strips were used to suspend the rectum. In 136 patients anal incontinence was associated with rectal prolapse. Normal continence was restored in 84.1 per cent of 107 patients with rectopexy alone and in 64.2 per cent of 14 patients who underwent rectopexy and anal sphincter repair. It is concluded that rectopexy to the promontory with nylon strips after mobilization of the rectum is a safe and efficient procedure for the treatment of rectal prolapse.

We have operated upon 588 patients with Klippel and Trenaunay syndrome. The underlying factor is a congenital malformation of the deep veins: agenesis, atresia or compression by fibrovascular bands of the popliteal, femoral or iliac veins. Of these 588 patients, 6 children between 15 months and 4 years of age had severe rectal bleeding and hematuria. One of these children died from massive bleeding of the rectum with septicemia. Another boy was saved by rectal resection and the last one by subtotal cystectomy. The important venogram shows an absence of the anterior venous pathway (superficial femoral vein) compensated by the abnormal development of 2 venous groups, the vein of the sciatic nerve and large veins along the external aspect of the inferior limb. These 2 venous groups penetrate into the pelvis by the sciatic and gluteal notches and terminate in the internal iliac vein which becomes enormous and has a very high flow. This overflow hinders drainage of the venous collateral from the rectum, the bladder and the vagina. The retro adductor vein, prolongated by the deep femoral vein, represents an anastomosis between the sciatic nerve vein and the common femoral vein. The surgeon must try to widen this pathway.

We prospectively studied peritonitis secondary to small bowel leakage in 30 critically ill patients, each of whom had complete diversion of intestinal continuity by stoma, fistula, or both. All patients received total parenteral nutrition during implementation of the protocol. The proximal intestinal effluent was collected and recycled into the distal small bowel. During reinfusion of succus entericus, a significant reduction in the output of the proximal stoma was observed (mean 30.2%, p less than 0.001). The reinfusion also significantly reduced the volume from isolated small bowel loops in six patients (32.6%, p less than 0.001). When isotonic dialysate solution was infused into the distal intestine, a lesser though significant reduction in stoma output occurred (mean 20.3%, p less than 0.001). These findings demonstrate a consistent inhibitory effect upon upper gastrointestinal secretions by reinfusion of succus entericus. Clinical benefits of this technique include simplified control of fluid and electrolyte balance in patients with high output stomas and optimal utilization of remaining absorptive capacity for enteral nutrition.

To improve surgical results of potentially operable rectal cancer (T2, T3, T4, Mo), the European Organization for Research on Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) conducted a two‐arm randomized clinical trial to evaluate the effect of administering radiotherapy before radical surgery. Four hundred ten patients were allocated to be treated either by surgery alone or by 34.5 Gy of radiotherapy (in 19 days overall) followed by surgery. The tolerance of the adjuvant radiation therapy was fairly good. The 5‐year survival rate was 65% overall and showed no difference between both therapeutic regimens. Similarly, the metastases‐free rate was the same in both groups. In contrast, the preoperative radiation therapy showed a marked effect on local control of the disease, the comparison of the time to local recurrence being highly significant between the two treatment groups (P = 0.001). The proportion of patients free of local recurrence at 5 years was 85% in the combined treatment versus 65% in the group of patients treated by surgery alone.