Surgical management of acute hemorrhagic postbulbar duodenal ulcer after a previous major surgical procedure

The choice of operation for acute hemorrhagic postbulbar duodenal ulcer after an operation is discussed. Distal partial gastrectomy was performed in six patients. The ulcer was treated by resection, suture, or removal by mucoclasis. Hemostasis was attained in five patients. In another, multiple ulcers were observed in the descending portion of the duodenum and gastrectomy failed to control hemorrhage, resulting in death. Rebleeding was observed in two, one from a newly formed ulcer in the upper part of the papilla of Vater after gastrectomy with truncal vagotomy and which was halted by suture of the ulcer and another was from a newly formed ulcer in the remnant stomach after gastrectomy and which was halted by selective vagotomy and ligation of the left gastric artery. It is recommendable to perform a subtotal gastrectomy and vagotomy combined with removal of the ulcer by mucoclasis or ulcer suture. In some cases, pancreatoduodenectomy may have to be done.