Maintenance cimetidine instead of surgery for duodenal ulcer: the first decade.

Fifty five patients with severe longstanding dyspepsia originally selected as candidates for elective duodenal ulcer surgery were instead entered into a maintenance cimetidine study. Forty six have been reviewed after 10 years. Twenty patients had required surgery, all in the first three years, but six of them had proven or suspected recurrent ulceration during follow up.