[Therapy failures in ulcer drug therapy--what should be done?].

In cases of ulcer relapses during drug therapy of duodenal ulcers the therapy has primarily to be checked and, if necessary, rearranged, and a gastrinoma has to be excluded. In case of ulcer complications the indication for operation is given: in cases of uncomplicated recurrences of ulcers the drug therapy may be adapted or reinforced, at least for the first or perhaps a second recurrence. In case of further recurrences, especially after cessation of medication, the operation has several advantages (no lethality of the elective proximal selective vagotomy, short treatment period, less costly) as compared to a life-long drug therapy.