[Highly selective vagotomy in the elective treatment of duodenal ulcer]

Highly selective vagotomy (HSV) is the elective treatment of duodenal ulceration, however, it is little used in our hospitals. A retrospective study was carried out comparing 20 patients operated on HSV with 31 patients that underwent truncal vagotomy+drainage (TV+D) in the last ten years at Surgery Unit N. 7 (3. "C") of the "Edgardo Rebagliati Martins" Hospital. Nasogastric intubation was discontinued and solid food was tolerated earlier after HSV. Hospital stay was 6.37 +/- 2.69 days in HSV and 8.23 +/- 1.93 days in TV+D (p = 0.006638). Diarrhea was the commonest post-operative problem continued by wound infection, dehiscent wound, pneumonia and dysphagia. No difference was found in the Visick graduation between both groups. There was recurrent ulceration in two patients in the TV+D group. The mean time of follow-up in HSV group was 3.03 years and VT+D was 5.37 years (p = 0.005868). The authors conclude that HSV is a better surgical technique than VT+D, with earlier recuperation and less hospital stay.