Mortality after vagotomy and pyloroplasty for duodenal ulcer

A retrospective survey of 4,026 patients having truncal vagotomy and pyloroplasty for duodenal ulceration showed a mortality rate of 1.4% (55 patients). On analysis the commonest causes of death were found to be bronchopneumonia 37% (18 patients) and sepsis 20% (10 patients). More than half of the deaths occurred in patients aged over 50.