We report on 50 totally colectomised children, most of whom suffered from Hirschsprung's disease. Of the 50, one child died postoperatively of enteritis. On an average, the children were re-examined 5 1/2 years after the colectomy. The findings were as follows: With the exception of four, the size and weight of the patients were within the norm; 20 passed frequent stools of pulpy consistency; 16 suffered from disturbances of continence; 14 developed severe, partially recurrent enteritis. We did not find any advantage of a single method of operation, e.g. Martin's operation.