Elective surgery for peptic ulcer: a five-year review.

A prospective study of surgery for peptic ulcer was undertaken to assess the current results of surgery in the so-called "post-cimetidine" era. Over a five-year period, 125 patients had undergone surgery; 82 parietal cell vagotomies, 10 vagotomy and drainage procedures, 10 Billroth I gastrectomies, 7 Billroth II gastrectomies, and 15 vagotomy and antrectomy procedures were performed. There were no postoperative deaths. Overall, the outcome was satisfactory in 92 patients, less than satisfactory in 13, and was considered a failure in 14, either because of recurrent ulceration (8%) or because of postoperative sequelae. The recurrence rate after parietal cell vagotomy was 5%. There was no difference in the recurrence rate after parietal cell vagotomy between women and men, but, overall, the results were less satisfactory in women after this operation. No significant difference in recurrence rate could be demonstrated between patients whose ulcers healed quickly after medical therapy and those whose ulcers did not heal.