Surgery to Cure the Zollinger–Ellison Syndrome

TLDR

The role of surgery in patients with the Zollinger–Ellison syndrome is controversial. The study assessed the efficacy of surgery in Zollinger–Ellison syndrome by following 151 consecutive laparotomy patients from 1981 to 1998. Patients included 123 sporadic gastrinomas and 28 MEN1-associated tumors ≥3 cm; tumor localization and functional studies were routinely performed, and all underwent a standardized operative protocol with duodenotomy after 1986.

Abstract

The role of surgery in patients with the Zollinger–Ellison syndrome is controversial. To determine the efficacy of surgery in patients with this syndrome, we followed 151 consecutive patients who underwent laparotomy between 1981 and 1998. Of these patients, 123 had sporadic gastrinomas and 28 had multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 with an imaged tumor of at least 3 cm in diameter. Tumor-localization studies and functional localization studies were performed routinely. All patients underwent surgery according to a similar operative protocol, and all patients who had surgery after 1986 underwent duodenotomy.