Gastric acid secretion and its predictive value after vagotomy for perforated duodenal ulcer

In a prospective randomized clinical trial, gastric acid secretion was compared in patients after simple closure, proximal gastric vagotomy with closure, or truncal vagotomy with pyloroplasty performed for perforated duodenal ulcer. The basal and pentagastrin- and insulin-stimulated acid outputs were similar after either proximal gastric or truncal vagotomy; they were also comparable with the postoperative acid values after corresponding procedures performed electively for chronic duodenal ulcer. Conversely, the basal and maximum acid outputs after simple closure of perforation were no different from the preoperative acid outputs of a group of duodenal ulcer patients matched for age and sex. The efficacy of acid reduction by emergency proximal gastric and truncal vagotomy was shown by the respective ulcer recurrence rate of 3% (1/34) and 6% (2/32) compared with 43% (15/35) after simple closure (p less than 0.01). Acid secretory data and serum gastrin levels did not predict ulcer relapse in patients after simple closure of perforation.