Endoscopic cautery using the heater probe as an alternative to operation for massive gastroduodenal haemorrhage

Endoscopic cautery using the heater probe has been used by the author since 1981 for treatment of acute gastroduodenal haemorrhage. The technique has been used as an alternative to immediate operation in 175 patients who had clearly demonstrated a need for intervention. All 175 had suffered recurrent haemorrhage in hospital to a blood transfusion requirement of at least 3 litres. Ulcer patients were selected by being over 60 yrs old or otherwise unfit for operation. Early experience showed that the technique was not reliable for patients bleeding from large posterior duodenal ulcers, so 35 old or sick patients with duodenal ulcer were excluded from the series. There were no exclusions with patients bleeding from lesions proximal to the pylorus, and 82% of these were successfully treated. Even with avoidance of large posterior ulcers, only 47% of duodenal ulcer patients were able to safely avoid an operation. It is concluded that heater probe cautery can replace emergency operation in most patients bleeding from gastric lesions, but it has a limited role for patients bleeding from duodenal ulcer.