ABSTRACT
Theodur Billroth performed the first successful partial gastrectomy in Vienna in 1881. The indication for surgery was an apple-sized mass palpable in the mid-epigastrium. He performed an antrectomy and reestablished gastrointestinal continuity by anastomosing the duodenal stump to the lesser curve of the stomach. He later modified this reconstructive approach to anastomose the duodenum to the greater curve in what is now classically referred to as the Billroth I (or BI) operation. Pathological examination of the specimen revealed adenocarcinoma of the antrum.
