Experimental gastric sympathectomy: an effective prophylaxis of gastric stress lesions

Fifteen mini-pigs were bled to a mean aortic blood pressure of 40 mm Hg and maintained at that level for three hours. The control group consisted of eight animals with shock for three hours, while the test group was comprised of seven animals with a similar shock period but which had undergone splanchnicectomy 14 days earlier. In all animals a stimulated gastric secretion test was performed three days before and eight days after splanchnicectomy. All animals in the control group showed severe gastric mucosal lesions after shock. Conversely, the piglets with splanchnicectomy developed no changes (five animals) or only minor changes (two animals). The efficacy of splanchnicectomy was confirmed by a stimulated gastric secretion test in which basal acid output did not change after operation, but peak acid output increased significantly. This study suggests that gastric splanchnicectomy prevents gastric ulceration following experimental shock.