Laparoscopic Highly Selective Vagotomy

Various procedures have been described to reduce gastric acidity for a potential cure of recurrent duodenal ulcer disease. Long-term follow-up is available in open surgery for the highly selective vagotomy (HSV), with a 5% recurrent rate for 5 years. With the success of minimal invasive surgery (MIS), it seemed feasible to adapt the MIS approach to HSV. The investigators present the technique, as well as their first results. From January 1991 to December 1993, 65 patients underwent a laparoscopic HSV. There was not conversion to open surgery. To date, there are two proven recurrences and one ischemic gastric ulcer.