Abstract
Seventy-two patients with generalized peritonitis due to perforated duodenal ulcer were encountered in our department. The mean age and the male-female ratio of the patients were 40.3 years and 6.2:1, respectively. Co-existing preoperative disease, preoperative shock and old age were considered to be prognostic factors for perforated duodenal ulcer. These patients were treated by extended gastrectomy before 1981 but by selective proximal vagotomy after 1982. Since the time required for the operation was shorter and the volume of intraoperative bleeding was smaller in those who underwent vagotomy, the surgical insult was less in this group. On the other hand, there were no differences in postoperative gastric secretion, the ability to eject the gastric contents, time of operation or intraoperative hemorrhage between patients with perforated ulcer and those with unperforated ulcer among those who underwent selective proximal vagotomy.
