What are the surgery options for control of a bleeding gastric ulcer?
- The best option is excision. Bleeding gastric ulcers require excision and biopsy to rule out malignancy.
- Small gastric ulcers (less than 2 cm) can usually be excised easily and safely, with the addition of an ulcer operation for patients who are acid hypersecretors.
- Large gastric ulcers, lesser curvature ulcers, bleeding ulcers associated with gastritis, and gastric ulcers that penetrate into the pancreas often require a more radical and technically demanding operation (subtotal, 75% resection, or near total, 95% resection, gastrectomy) to control hemorrhage.
