Perforated duodenal ulcer.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to S A Raimes.
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Truncal vagotomy and drainage is still the commonest operation for duodenal ulcer in the United Kingdom, despite its known association with diarrhoea. The frequency and severity of diarrhoea were compared in 102 randomly selected men 10 or more years after truncal vagotomy and pyloroplasty (TVP) and a control group of 62 men taking long-term maintenance cimetidine treatment 2 or more years after healing of duodenal ulcer. 53% of the TVP group still had diarrhoea attacks compared with only 7% of the cimetidine group (p less than 0.001). Of the TVP patients, 11% had continuous diarrhoea and a further 22% at least one attack a week. 24% were displeased with the change in bowel function, and 8% complained that diarrhoea still seriously affected their lives. This side-effect is unacceptable and truncal vagotomy should now be avoided whenever possible.
A refinement of the technique for constructing the temporary loop ileostomy using a subcutaneous absorbable bridge is described. This leaves the skin surface uncluttered and allows immediate fitting of a watertight appliance. Clinical experience in 22 patients confirms that this is a safe, simple defunctioning stoma with few complications and in our practice has also replaced the loop colostomy as the covering stoma for difficult colorectal anastomoses.