Upper gastrointestinal fiberoptic endoscopy reveals the silk suture-line ulcer.

Suture-line ulceration can be prevented by the use of absorbable suture material in upper gastrointestinal operation. Suture-line ulceration can be diagnosed by the more careful and more frequent use of upper gastrointestinal fiberoptic endoscopy in a symptomatic postoperative patient with or without a positive upper gastrointestinal barium x-ray study. Suture-line ulceration can be treated by the gastroscope or by operation once the suture has been confirmed as the etiology of the ulceration.