SUBTOTAL gastric resection is the most widely used operation for gastroduodenal ulceration. It is also used for certain lesions of the stomach requiring extirpative therapy, e. g., carcinoma, polyps, and leiomyomata. This paper will not be concerned with the relative merits of subtotal gastric resection versus other types of operation for these lesions. It behooves a surgeon from time to time to examine critically the results of that therapy which he believes to be best in order that he may modify it in any manner which would improve his results. This is the primary indication for this study.
Subtotal gastric resection as practiced today conforms to one of two general types, depending upon whether the duodenum or the jejunum is utilized for the reestablishment of gastrointestinal continuity. If the duodenum is utilized, the operation is known as a Billroth I; if the jejunum is employed, the procedure is a Billroth