[Treatment results in surgery of gastroduodenal ulcers]

From 1969 to 1980, 1316 patients underwent surgery for gastric and duodenal ulceration. In 302 cases (23%) the indication was a vital one (158 times [12%] perforation and 144 times [11%] heavy bleeding). 1014 operations (77%) were of selective character: 1159 times partial gastrectomy, 60 times vagotomy and 97 times nonresective emergency procedures. The rate of complications following perforation was 2 1/2 times and after bleeding 3 times higher than after selective operations. The mortality rate after perforation came up to 9.5%, after hemorrhage to 13.2%, but in selective cases only to 0.6%. The total mortality rate came up to 3.0%. Our results demonstrate the fact that surgery for gastric and duodenal ulcer is mainly burdened by mortality following perforation and haemorrhage.