Treatment of severe peptic ulcer haemorrhage with the heat probe

From September to December 1986, 30 cases of persistent upper gastrointestinal bleeding were collected and treated, via the endoscope, with a heat probe. All cases had either gastric or duodenal ulcers. Ten cases were in shock. After treatment, all bleeding episodes initially stopped, but six cases (20%) re-bled. Five cases received repeat heat probe therapy and did not re-bleed thereafter. Thus the ultimate success rate was 96.7% (29/30). Twenty of 21 ulcers (94.3%) were found to be healed with scars 2 months after therapy. During therapy and the follow-up period, only one complication occurred and this was a mild aspiration pneumonia. The heat probe is an ideal haemostatic device for severe non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding.