Management of the recurrent ulcer.

One hundred seventeen patients with recurrent ulcer were treated at the University of Michigan Medical Center. The most satisfactory results were obtained when vagotomy was employed in the surgical therapy. Seventy-one of 91 patients treated by operation had a satisfactory result. In nine patients a second operation was required, and three patients underwent a third operative procedure. Twenty-one additional patients were satisfactorily treated medically so that, overall, 92 of 117 patients (79%) had a good result. Twelve patients had residual symptoms and 13 were lost to follow-up. There were no deaths attributable to recurrent ulcer in the entire series.