Perforated duodenal ulcers

The incidence of perforation, complicating about 5% of duodenal ulcers, has not decreased proportional to the overall decline in peptic ulcer disease. To define the role of immediate definitive surgery, we conducted several prospective studies to identify risk factors that increase operative mortality as well as predictive factors associated with relapse after simple closure. Among 613 consecutive patients, major medical illnesses, preoperative...