From June 1986 to December 1992, 16 patients (12 men and 4 women, 63 years-old [36 to 79]) who underwent a prior sphincter-saving resection for colorectal adenocarcinoma were operated on for locoregional recurrence with a surgical resection. Eight patients had a second anterior resection (5 colorectal, 2 coloanal and 1 ileoanal anastomosis), one a resection without anastomosis, and 7 an abdomino-perineal resection. Nine patients received an intraoperative irradiation (10 to 25 Gy). Excisions of surrounding organs were often necessary. Post-operative complications occurred in most of the patients. Excluding 3 post-operative deaths, 9 patients died of disease in a median of 12.9 months after surgery (range: 3 to 32 months). Four patients are still living 5 to 14 months after the second resection. There is little in the surgical literature dealing with these difficult surgical problem of which results are always uncertain. An earlier diagnosis of the recurrence would result in a more satisfactory procedure, but is difficult because of the limited possibilities of detection after surgical treatment and often external irradiation.