Technique of proximal gastric vagotomy with adrenergic preservation (PGV-AP)

The designation proximal gastric vagotomy with adrenergic preservation (PGV-AP) is proposed for the technique of PGV which preserves the blood vessels of the lesser curvature of the stomach, thus preserving the sympathetic innervation to that organ. The author presents a detailed and fully illustrated description of the technique of PGV-AP performed during the last 14 years on 335 patients. An ulcer recurrence rate of 1.8 per cent was noted. The excellent results are attributed to the preservation of the sympathetic innervation to the stomach. These clinical findings confirm recent experimental studies that have demonstrated an inhibitory function of the sympathetic nervous system against gastric acid secretion.