[Results of selective proximal vagotomy for gastroduodenal ulcer (author's transl)]

Between 1971 and 1976 selective proximal vagotomy (SPV) was performed in 526 patients with uncomplicated duodenal ulcer and in 37 with gastric ulcer. The operative mortality was 0.18%. The post-operative course was without complication in 90%. One to five years post-operatively 75% of patients with duodenal ulcer were largely without symptoms (Visick I and II), a dumping syndrome was present in 6.5%, diarrhoea in 4.2%, gastric outlet stenosis in 1% and recurrent ulcer in 10.9% of patients who could be re-examined. Recurrent ulcer occurred in eight of 36 patients re-examined after SPV for gastric ulcer. Results of SPV so far have shown it to be a useful alternative to gastric resection in the treatment of duodenal ulcer. But its place in the treatment of gastric ulcer remains undecided.