Surgical management of bleeding gastric ulceration

In a nine-year period from 1977 to 1985 sixty-one patients underwent surgery for bleeding gastric ulceration in the Western Infirmary, Glasgow. Nineteen patients were treated by partial gastrectomy, twenty-two had undersewing of the ulcer plus vagotomy and drainage and twenty had undersewing alone. Mortality in the three groups was 26, 45 and 10 per cent respectively. All groups of patients were similar in terms of age, severity of haemorrhage, delay before surgery and grade of surgeon performing the procedure. Out-patient follow-up (mean: 37 months) of patients treated by undersewing alone revealed that 73 per cent were symptom free. Treatment of bleeding gastric ulceration by undersewing alone is effective and should be considered in patients who require surgery.