Partial gastrectomy for haemorrhage

An analysis was made of the results of 566 partial gastrectomies for haemorrhage from gastroduodenal ulceration between 1953 and 1962 with regard to mortality, morbidity, and long-term follow up. With rigid criteria for selection of patients for surgery, the overall mortality rate for ulcerative gastroduodenal haemorrhage was 8.6%. The actual operative mortality rate more than doubles if an emergency operation is performed later than four days after the patient's admission with haemorrhage. Postoperative and later bleeding complications occurred in 5% of patients. Regardless of the length of ulcerative history, over 92% of patients have clinically satisfactory long-term results. Six per cent required further operation, after which, they too had clinically satisfactory results.