Dysfunctions,e. g.,urinary or sexual disturbance,may be inevitable following excision of rectal cancer for cure,many of which stem from the neurological damage to the bladder and sexual apparatus inflicted by the pelvic lymphadnectomy. Seventy-five year old or younger patients with carcinoma of the rectum who had been treated by either low anterior or abdominoperineal resection in the period of 1970 to 1988 were asked by a questionnaire constructed to identify their sexual difficulties. Since 1983 when an autonomic nerve preserving surgery first introduced for rectal cancer,the patients with an intact or near-intact sexual ability had been increasing. However,in not a few patients,sexual function had been partly or totally impaired depending on the method of surgery or the degree of autonomic nerve preserved. To those,a supportive therapy -intracavernous administration of papaverine- was given with some satisfactory results.

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　A questionaire survey was carried out to asses the quality of life on 33 patients who had undergone urinary diversions. Urinary diversions were made by ileal conduit in 25 patients or by continent urinary reservoir（Kock or Mainz pouch）in 8.
　Dermatitis around the stoma and fear of odour were the problem in patients who had ileal conduit,and difficulty of catheterization was the major problem in the patients given continent reservoir. With quality of life,the patients given continent reservoir were better in taking bath than ones having ileal conduit,however,sleeping was more compromised in the group with reservoir compared to the one with conduit. Subjective health appraisal was deteriorated in both groups of the patients. About half of the patients unsatisfied the life with urinary diversion in both groups,and almost all the patients were anxious about their life with urinary diversions. The results obtained here showed that urinary diversions did not always improve their quality of life.

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