[Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in gastrectomy and vagotomy]

To report the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in patients undergoing gastrectomy or vagotomy plus pyloroplasty because of peptic ulcer disease.

Eighty-five patients were studied (mean age = 61 years; 85% males) who had undergone gastric surgery: Billroth I gastrectomy (n = 25), Billroth II (n = 51) and vagotomy plus pyloroplasty (n = 9). During endoscopy biopsy specimens were obtained from fundus and both sides of anastomosis for histological (hematoxylin-eosin) and microbiological (Gram stain and culture) investigations.

The overall percentage of Helicobacter pylori infection was 43.6% (Billroth I = 40%; Billroth II = 37%; vagotomy = 89%) and no differences were observed between both types of surgical reconstruction. However, differences were indeed observed (p < 0.01) when comparing percentages of infection between patients undergoing gastrectomy and vagotomy. Among infected gastrectomized patients H. pylori was detected in fundus in 93% of cases, whereas the recovery rate from anastomotic mouth biopsies was only 72% (p < 0.05).

The prevalence of H. pylori infection in gastrectomized patients (Billroth I and II) was low regarding the cause of surgery (peptic ulcer disease), and no differences were observed between both types of surgical reconstruction. The prevalence of infection after vagotomy and pyloroplasty was significantly higher. Among infected gastrectomized patients, H. pylori was detected more frequently in gastric fundus compared with biopsy specimens obtained from the anastomotic mouth.