Reoperation for postsurgical peptic ulcer recurrence: appraisal of ten years' experience

Between January 1, 1965 and December 31, 1974, 47 patients were treated at the University of Florida Affiliated Hospitals for peptic ulcer after a generally acceptable ulcer operation. Twenty-seven patients had had vagotomy and drainage, four patients had had vagotomy and antrectomy and 16 patients had had partial gastric resection. Forty-nine definitive operations were performed with a 4% operative mortality. Three patients (7%) had another ulcer recurrence following surgery. Left transthoracic vagotomy is the treatment of choice when recurrent ulceration follows subtotal gastrectomy or vagotomy and antrectomy. For ulceration following vagotomy and drainage, antrectomy, antrectomy is preferred. Synergism between hormonal and neural gastric stimulants causes a decreased parietal cell responsiveness to vagal stimulation after antrectomy. Exploration of the hiatus at the time of antrectomy increases the morbidity of the procedure. Should ulcers recur after antrectomy, vagotomy may be performed with a low morbidity through the transthoracic approach.