title: Heat probe thermocoagulation as a substitute for surgical intervention to arrest massive peptic ulcer hemorrhage: an experience in 153 cases.
abstract: In a period of 2 years 7 months, we performed heat probe (HP) thermocoagulation in 153 cases of massive peptic ulcer hemorrhage. The male/female sex ratio was 125/28. The average age was 57.6 +/- 1.3 years (mean +/- SEM; range, 17 to 88). There were 69 cases (45.1%) of spurting hemorrhage, 50 cases (32.7%) of oozing hemorrhage, and 34 cases (22.2%) of nonbleeding visible vessels. Seventy-seven patients (50.3%) were in shock before therapy. After therapy we obtained initial success in 147 cases (96.1%). Rebleeding episodes occurred in 23 patients (15.6%) within 1 month after therapy. Nineteen patients received a second therapy, and treatment in 15 of these cases (78.9%) was ultimately successful. Finally, treatment in 142 cases (92.8%) was ultimately successful. The duration of hospitalization was 6.3 +/- 0.4 days (mean +/- SEM). After discharge all patients were followed at the outpatient department for at least 1 month. Sixty-seven patients were followed endoscopically for at least 2 to 3 months after therapy. Fifty-six patients (83.6%) had a healed scar at the previous bleeding site 2 months after therapy, and 62 patients (92.5%) had a healed scar 3 months after therapy. We conclude that HP thermocoagulation is an ideal and reliable modality of therapeutic endoscopy in arrest of massive peptic ulcer hemorrhage. HP thermocoagulation may become the first choice of therapy for massive peptic ulcer bleeding in the near future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: F Y
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Z C
authors.initials: ZC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Y T
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Tsai
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004564:Electrocoagulation / Q000379:methods*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006488:Hemostasis, Surgical; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010438:Peptic Ulcer Hemorrhage / Q000601:surgery*; D012008:Recurrence