[Pancreatic function after subdiaphragmatic vagotomy]

After brief mention of certain aspects of pancreatic secretion and having stressed the importance of nervous and humoral regulator systems, the results of a study of pancreatic secretion function in vagotomized patients are reported. It was shown that the majority of distribances occur at an early stage and tend to reduce as time goes on as a result of the compensation mechanisms which gradually set in. A small percentage of vagotomized patients remains, however, in whom slight disturbances continue. These are not enough to constitute a contraindication to the use of vagotomy as an alternative technique in the surgical treatment of gastroduodenal ulcer.