[Short and median term results of 234 cases of gastrectomy with the Billroth II method. Critical evaluation].

234 partial gastrectomies, according to Billroth II technique, were performed for peptic ulcer disease in selective patients from 1969 to 1977. A postoperative study has been carried out to check the efficiency of such operation in the treatment of peptic ulcer disease. Postoperative treatment of peptic ulcer disease. Postoperative mortality was 3.8%, while immediate surgical complications were 6.4%. 145 of this patients could be followed with a special regard for sex, age, way of living, general conditions, ulcer's location and the persisting symptoms at the time of the study. 124 patients (84%) showed good general conditions while 6 (4.1%) needed a second operation for recurrent peptic ulceration or alkaline reflux gastritis. Although this procedure has showed fairly good clinical results the Authors point out the high rate of postoperative mortality for a basically benign disease and the presence of some unpleasant digestive sequelae. Attention is payed to some factors that may play an important role on the pathophysiology of these sequelae.