[Peptic ulcer: changing indications for gastric resection during the last 15 years]

In this study the authors want to underline the changing strategies for peptic ulcer disease. Considering the experience of two Surgery Departments in Piedmont, the G. Bosco Hospital of Turin and the S. Croce Hospital of Moncalieri, in the last 15 years, they observed a notable reduction of gastric resections owing to new drugs such as H2-antagonist and omeprazole in peptic ulcer therapy. The authors report, therefore, recent suggestions to gastric resection in the cases of complicated ulcer or not. Today pyloric stenosis due to chronic ulcer no longer operated and perforated ulcer is resected only when there is a great gastric hole, or a relapse perforation or a bleeding together to perforation. On the contrary hemorrhagic ulcer is operated when the bleeding is either notable, or relapse, or continuous, or untransfusible.