Recurrence of gastric ulcer after selective vagotomy and pyloroplasty for chronic uncomplicated gastric ulcer: a 5-10 year follow-up.

Selective vagotomy and pyloroplasty were used in the surgical treatment of 73 patients with benign gastric ulcer between July 1964 and February 1970. Over the long period of observation recurrence of the gastric ulcer was found in 13 patients (19-1 per cent). This complication occurred equally commonly after treatment of primary and secondary gastric ulcers and was twice as frequent in women as in men. Possible reasons for these recurrences are discussed. It is concluded that vagotomy and pyloroplasty cure benign gastric ulcer in about 80 per cent of patients, and this should be taken into account in the choice of surgical treatment, especially in patients in whom a gastrectomy might put the patient's life at risk. However, because of the high recurrence rate, it is doubtful whether this operation should be considered the treatment of choice for all cases of gastric ulcer.