Abstract:
Introduction: Over the past two decades the treatment of peptic ulcer disease has changed basically. Nowadays surgery is largely restricted to the treatment of complications.
Aim: The aim of our study was to show the frequency of complicated gastric ulcers in a larger series of patients at the University Hospital in Tübingen, Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery during a time period.
Materials and methods: 427 patients, who had been treated at the University Hospital in Tübingen, Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, due to an endoscopic diagnosed gastric ulcer, were reviewed.
Results: The age of patients with gastric ulcer has been increasing constantly; the median age of the female patients is 7 years higher than that of the male patients. The most frequent risk factors were the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and tobacco smoking. In case of complications, haemorrhage occurs with 157/427 (37%) as the most frequent complication of gastric ulcers, followed by perforation with 31/427 (7%), penetration with 11/427 (3%) and obstruction with 7/427 (2%). On the one hand a significant absolute increase in emergency surgery for gastric ulcer disease can be seen; on the other hand elective surgery has been largely abandoned during the time period.
Conclusions: The absolute increase in emergency surgery for gastric ulcer disease shows, that, in spite of excellent drugs for gastric acid suppression, surgery for peptic ulcer disease will continue to be necessary in the future. Elective surgery for peptic ulcer disease is no longer state of the art.