Laparoscopic gastric vagotomies

Recurrent duodenal ulcer remains a continuing challenge for medical care. Once popular, operations have almost vanished from surgical wards due to efficient medical treatment. The onset of laparoscopy and minimal invasive surgery has caused several teams to reconsider the position of surgical treatment in the disease. Various procedures are actually used, and, as no long-term follow-up is available, it is difficult to estimate which technique would be advisable. The authors compare the different procedures and the theoretical advantages and disadvantages of each one. The best technique has to be applicable in laparoscopy and achieve the best results for the patient.