The majority of the 481 gastric operations performed during the past 1
2 years at the Phoenix VA Medical Center were for peptic ulcer disease
. Postoperative complications after operation for hemorrhage or perfor
ation in 103 patients were more frequent than those following elective
operations. This was especially true among patients over 60 years of
age and among those with coexisting diseases, which were often directl
y related to the complications.