OBJECTIVE. To analyse outcomes of patients who underwent emergency gastrectomy for complicated peptic ulcer disease.

DESIGN. Prognostic study on a historical cohort.

SETTING. A regional hospital in Hong Kong.

PATIENTS. Patients who underwent emergency gastrectomy from 2000 to 2009 in our hospital.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES. Primary outcome measures were in-hospital mortality and the predictors of such deaths. Secondary outcome measures were 7-day mortality, 30-day mortality, and morbidities.

RESULTS. In all, 112 patients had emergency gastrectomies performed for complicated peptic ulcer disease during the study period. In-hospital mortality was 30%. In the univariate analysis, old age, duodenal ulcer, failed primary surgery, gastrojejunostomy anastomosis for reconstruction, hand-sewn technique for duodenal stump closure, use of a sump drain, low haemoglobin level, preoperative blood transfusion, prolonged prothrombin time, and high creatinine or bilirubin levels were associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality. In the multivariate analysis, failed primary surgery, old age, and high creatinine level turned out to be independent risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS. Emergency gastrectomy should be considered seriously as the primary treatment option in appropriately selected elderly patients, instead of salvage procedures to repair a perforation or control bleeding by plication.

Key words: Duodenal ulcer; Emergencies; Gastrectomy; Mortality; Stomach ulcer

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