Parietal cell vagotomy as an emergency procedure for bleeding peptic ulcer

Twenty-three selected patients presenting with massive bleeding from peptic ulcers underwent emergency parietal cell vagotomy (PCV). Nineteen patients had a duodenal ulcer, two a prepyloric ulcer, and one a gastric ulcer. The patients were studied retrospectively with regard to postoperative mortality and morbidity, early rebleeding, and recurrent ulceration. Two patients (9%) died after operation, one of rebleeding. No others suffered rebleeding. One further patient had major respiratory complications and 14 others developed minor complications. The remaining 21 patients were followed for between 2 and 72 months. Two patients (10%) developed recurrent ulcers. The authors conclude that parietal cell vagotomy may be used as an emergency operation for bleeding peptic ulcer in selected cases with an acceptably low mortality, rebleeding rate, and incidence of recurrent ulceration.