Selective surgery for peptic ulcer: a review.

Peptic ulcer patients do not fall into one secretory pattern and methods are available by which the secretory pattern may be assessed. Provided this assessment is accurate and the operation appropriate to the requirements of the individual patient is carried out, the side-effects are not severe. The mortality from gastric surgery need not be above 1% and even when resection is involved the technical hazards of the operation are rarely the cause of death in experienced hands. Further improvement in immediate and long-term results and protection against recurrence may be expected as the principles of selection become better understood and surgical procedures adequate to each requirement become standardized.