Results of surgical management of hemorrhagic gastritis in patients with gastroesophageal varices.

The records of 13 patients with gastroesophageal varices, operated upon for the prevention or control of hemorrhage from gastritis, were reviewed. Bleeding was controlled postoperatively in all nine patients in whom the operations included variceal decompression, while the remainder had recurrent or continuing hemorrhage, p = 0.0013. The over-all operative mortality was 69 per cent, reflecting excessive blood loss preoperatively in the 11 actively bleeding patients. It is concluded that hemorrhagic gastritis in patients with varices should be viewed as portal hypertensive bleeding and that the basis for therapy must be the early institution of measures which effect a reduction of portal pressure.