202 patients with rectal cancer, complicated by the intestinal obstruction were operated on. There were 93 (46,1%) men and 109 (53,9%)women. Age was 25-80 years. 41(20,3%) patients had radical operations with resection of the rectum and anastomosis. The operation was finished with end-to-end intestinal anstomosis in 34 cases; the rest 7 cases had the side-to-side or end-to-side anastomosis. Rectum resection with colostomy was performed in 91 (45,0%) patients. 70 (34,6%) patients with the decompensated intestinal obstruction with polyorgan failure had palliative operations with ileostomy (14 cases) or two-side colostomy (56 patients). Postoperative complication rate was 40.6% (82 patients). The overall postoperative lethality was 14,8%.