[Duodenal ulcer: truncal vagotomy with celioscopy. Report of 53 cases]

The recent introduction of laparoscopic surgery in the therapeutic arsenal of duodenal ulcer enabled us to carry out these interventions by abdominal route in order to appreciate the early results. It concerned a prospective study from March 1999 to August 2000 of 53 cases of which were 47 men and 6 women, aged from 16-75 years average age 52 years. Twenty six patients had pyloro-duodenal stenosis, the rest, chronic duodenal ulcer. Vagotomy was carried out on a patient on dorsal decubitus under general anesthesia with oro-tracheal intubation operator within the legs of the patient and the monitor at the right hand side. The process required four trocars depending on the morphology of the patient. A pneumoperitoneum of 3-5 litres permitted to attain the oesophagial hiatus by collapsing the pars-flaccida of the minor epiploon, the reperation of the right diaphragmatic pillar and the discovery of the posterior vagus nerve which was coagulated and sectioned. The traction of the body of the stomach towards the ombilious exposed the anterior portion of the stomach, thanks to the coagulator, the anterior branches of the vagus nerve are sectioned. Drainage by minilaparotomy terminates the intervention if only stenosis existed. Mortality was nul. The time of intervention was 35 to 135 minutes with an average of 71 minutes. The hospital stay was between 3 and 12 days with an average of 5 days. Three conversions to laparotomy (difficultdissection, liver cirrhosis, breakdown of materials), pleural wound consisted the morbidity. Two cases of re-operation due to evacuaton poorly appreciated in pre-operation period were observed. The results according to Visick criterias were: 1 : 51; II : 0; III : 0; IV: 2 patients for a follow up of 3-17 months. Vagotomy under coelioscopy is an intervention which permits to obtain results comparable to those of conventional surgery.