Giant peptic ulcer: A surgical or medical disease?

Background: Medical management of giant peptic ulcers has traditionally bee n associated with significant morbidity and mortality rates, dictating the need for surgical intervention. Methods: To determine if recent advances in therapy has reduced the number of patients who require surgical procedures, we reviewed the medical record s of all patients with peptic ulcers of 2 cm or more at our institution fro m January 1991 to August 1996. Results: We identified 75 patients with giant ulcers who were followed for a mean duration of 36 months. Sixty-three patients (84%) were managed witho ut operation with a good outcome, documented by healing on repeat esophagog astroduodenoscopy and/or resolution of symptoms. Medical management include d treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection, stopping nonsteroidal anti-in flammatory drugs, and potent acid suppression. Endoscopic intervention to c ontrol bleeding was successful in 7 patients (9%), and 2 patients (3%) were treated successfully with angiographic embolization. Only 12 patients (16% ) required surgical intervention: 6 as the result of bleeding, 2 as the res ult of perforation, 1 as the result of obstruction, and 3 with intractable disease. Conclusions: In this series of patients with giant peptic ulcers, most pati ents (84%) were managed without surgical treatment. Our data suggest that i mprovements in medical therapy have obviated the need for eventual surgical intervention in most patients with giant ulcers.