A retrospective study was made of 190 patients who had anterior resections of the rectum for carcinoma at Concord Hospital between 1971 and 1981. Urinary tract infection occurred in 25 percent of patients. Bladder dysfunction occurred in 22 percent of patients, and was more frequent in those in whom the tumor was less than 10 cm from the anal verge. The patients were compared with 122 patients who had undergone abdominoperineal excisions of the rectum for carcinoma. Although the overall incidence of bladder dysfunction was the same in both groups, there was a significantly higher incidence of permanent bladder dysfunction in patients undergoing abdominoperineal excision (P = 0.00034).