Clinical results of reoperation after failed highly selective vagotomy

The results after reoperation after failed highly selective vagotomy during a 10 year period have been reviewed retrospectively. Forty of 306 patients (13 percent) underwent reoperation due to recurrent ulcer (25 patients), severe dyspepsia without proved recurrence (12 patients), and gastric stasis without recurrence (3 patients). In the first two groups, 16 patients had a second vagotomy and 17 underwent partial gastrectomy, 10 with gastroduodenostomy and 7 with gastrojejunostomy. The need for a second reoperation was disquietingly high after both revagotomy (5 of 16 patients) and partial gastrectomy with gastroduodenostomy (4 of 10 patients). These results contrasted with a successful outcome in all seven patients who underwent reoperation with partial gastrectomy and gastrojejunostomy. At the time of follow-up, 85 percent of the reoperated patients (34 of 40 patients) were in Visick grade 1 or 2 as determined by their own judgement.