Introduction
In gastric ulcer disease, the practical problem which confronts the surgeon is that of management. The complications of gastric ulcer, such as acute perforation, hemorrhage, and obstruction, are usually treated surgically, and this aspect presents little controversy. In the absence of these complications, the inability to differentiate a benign gastric ulcer from a malignant one dominates the clinical picture, and this often becomes the indication for surgical intervention.In general, the policy at this institution has been to recommend resection for any gastric ulcer which is not resolved completely on an intensive hospital ulcer regimen lasting no longer than 3 weeks. At times, this rather popular policy has been considered somewhat radical. This latter opinion led us to a consideration of the mortality, morbidity, and the natural course of gastric ulcer disease, in addition to its malignant potential. The purpose of this report is to review our experience with