Peptic ulcer surgery at a rural hospital in Kenya

In this study, 157 patients who underwent surgery for peptic ulcer disease in a 215-bed mission hospital in Nyeri, Kenya were evaluated. One hundred and thirty seven patients (87.3%) had duodenal ulcer. Vagotomy and drainage was performed in 82.8% with an overall mortality of 1.3%. There were no serious complications during operation but side effects were experienced during the post operative period. Various aspects of peptic ulcer surgery are discussed.